Cupid Wears Buneary Ears
by Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus
Summary: Hoping if trainers fall in love their Pokemon will do the same, Pikachu-fancying Buneary plays cupid with Ash and Dawn. But Ash likes Misty and Dawn likes Kenny, so can Buneary meld Pearlshipping amidst Penguinshipping & Pokeshipping? Lagomorphshipping. Complete.
1. Under the Stars

**_Cupid Wears Buneary Ears_**

**SUMMARY**: Hoping if trainers fall in love their Pokemon will do the same, Pikachu-fancying Buneary plays cupid with Ash and Dawn. But what if Ash likes Misty and Dawn likes Kenny?

**GENRE**: Romance/Friendship  
**RATED**: G / K  
**NOTABLE CONTENT**: Mildly Crude Humor/Mischief

**PAIRING(S)**: Dominantly Lagomorphshipping (Buneary/Pikachu), with some Pokeshipping (Ash/Misty) and Penguinshipping (Dawn/Kenny). Will Buneary succeed at incorporating Pearlshipping (Ash/Dawn)? Maybe, maybe not. Wait and see!

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters  
_**STORY TAKES PLACE IN**: Season 11 – D&P Battle Dimension

**COMMENTS**: Since I love Buneary/Pikachu, I wanted to contribute a fluffy/silly story for the adorable pairing. Pikachu deserves a girlfriend (as does Pikachu's trainer, hehe ^_~). And because I love nostalgia, there's a small tribute in this chapter commemorating the original first season of the Pokemon anime. *Sighs* Good times.

FYI: Usually I refer to Pokemon as "its" in my stories. But in this particular fic I'm taking creative liberties and dubbing Pikachu a male and Buneary a female. Also, I'm assuming Buneary is a little younger (and more naïve) than Pikachu. My apologies upfront if Buneary/Pikachu's sexes/ages bug anybody. I'm doing my best to write the mindsets and love interests of fictitious magical animals, but it's challenging.

So _yes_, after my half-year-plus hiatus, I am back posting fanfics. ^.^ I missed the excitement of publishing, along with missing some of my readers. I hope everybody enjoys this fanfic!

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**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter One ~ * ~ Under the Stars ~ * ~**

_"If two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers will meet and they can fall in love too!"_

That line of reminiscence instantly perked Buneary's fluffy ears, eavesdropping on a campfire conversation. She and the other Pokemon curled up on a grassy patch near Ash, Brock, and Dawn's fire. Their peaceful campsite was the perfect ambiance to meditate amongst the chirps of night-crawling forest Pokemon. Stars speckled the night sky, and the crackling campfire's pillar of smoke extended into the heavens. After a long day of training, it was the ideal setting for the Pokemon and their trainers to get some well-deserved rest.

Alas, Buneary's relaxation was disturbed when she listened to the three humans converse. As they often did, the kids sat on logs surrounding the blazing fire. Campfires were notorious for attracting chatter about "the good ol' days," which Buneary found dull and boring. Heavens knew Dawn utilized any opportunity to gush about Johanna's past accomplishments as a top coordinator. Long before the navy-haired girl's Pokemon journey, she used to watch her mother's contests from the sidelines, which undeniably led to Dawn's career ambition. Then came the two boys, Ash and Brock, who frequently enlightened Dawn about their adventures prior to entering Sinnoh. The human trio clearly loved immersing themselves in nostalgia, but Buneary could not agree. Perhaps it was because she was a Pokemon, but the rabbit found subjects about the trainers' pasts to be uninteresting. She never understood human fascination with the past.

However, on this particular evening, one specific conversation about the kids' pasts attracted Buneary's floppy ears.

_If two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers will meet and they can fall in love too?_ Buneary repeated to herself. Brock was the one who said the sentence that initially grabbed the brown rabbit's curiosity. Blinking, the bunny remained reclined, keeping one eye open to discreetly listen to the humans' discussion.

"Oh puh-_lease_, Brock!" Buneary's trainer suddenly laughed, shaking her navy head in disbelief. Dawn was not the only kid making an odd reaction to Brock's words, either. Ash was sweatdropping and sending his older friend grins, whereas Brock was blushing sheepishly. Folding arms over her chest, Dawn cocked her head teasingly for the brunette's benefit. "Don't you think it was a wee bit desperate of you to pair two Butterfree together…just so _you _could get a girlfriend, _hmm_?"

_Desperate is right_, Buneary agreed wholeheartedly, shooting a glance where Croagunk slept a few feet away. She had half a mind to wake up and sic the Poison Type after love-crazed Brock. _That's SICK to pair Pokemon together just so their trainers can fall in love!_

"Well, believe me, Brock's plan didn't get too far, anyway," Ash reassured Dawn, causing both the coordinator and Buneary to sigh inwardly. Remembering Brock's not-so-smooth matchmaking with Ash's Butterfree, the black-haired boy shook his own head over Brock's desperation. It was no exaggeration to say Brock would do "anything" to win a girlfriend. "After Brock's stupid comment, Misty belted him a second later, warning him to butt-out of Pokemon love affairs."

"Served you right, Brock!" Dawn chastised matter-of-factly. "Pairing Pokemon for your own personal gain? _Sicko_!"

Buneary shrugged to herself over her and Dawn thinking identically. It never ceased to amaze the bunny how Pokemon and their masters could be on the same wavelength. _Like trainer, like Pokemon, and vise versa._

"Oh gimmie a break…I was desperate, _okay_?" Brock finally admitted, though the only comfort Ash and Dawn gave him were instant "No kidding, Brocko" remarks. Sweatdropping, the teen buried a red face into his hands, shaking his head in small despair. Brock could handle his friends' teases, as long as it meant his desperation led to acquiring a girlfriend. Sadly, being teased whilst being single was plain torture.

"But you didn't see her, either, Dawn," added Brock, lifting his head to unveil glistening eyes alongside a dreamy smile. Ash and Dawn just sighed, knowing the red flags indicating "Warning: Brock is visiting fantasyland again." "That Butterfree trainer was so beautiful! Her hair was so shiny, her skin so clear, her eyes so glittery, her figure so-_OW_!"

Ash and Dawn cringed not a second after their fantasizing friend's butt got pelted with a Poison Jab. Random as always, neither kid was sure how Croagunk awoke at just the right time (perhaps thanks to Buneary's "same wavelength" theory?). All the same, Ash and Dawn were thankful the Poison Pokemon stopped Brock, before he went into _too_ much detail describing that girl. There were things to be said for Croagunk's convenient (but well appreciated) timing.

Part of their routine, Croagunk dragged away Brock for a much-needed timeout, leaving the two younger group members alone by the fire. Sweatdropping and shaking their heads, Ash and Dawn wondered if Brock would ever learn. _Probably not in this lifetime_. Dawn, herself, was quite surprised how Brock's girl obsession dated way back before she met the group…though "why" she was so surprised was the biggest mystery. _This is BROCK we're talking about_.

Ash, on the other hand, was not too surprised, having gotten used to Brock's girl-craziness after years of traveling. Yet honestly, the boy was hoping Brock's hormones would have settled down by now. _Some things never change, I guess._

"That guy's gonna' get himself into some serious trouble one day," Dawn predicted with a shiver. She did not wish ill on Brock. Still, Dawn would not be too surprised to learn her eldest friend got arrested for wooing the wrong girl. Frankly, the coordinator was amazed that Brock's arrests and pressed charges had not happened already! "Good thing he's got Croagunk to keep him out of trouble."

Considering how Croagunk "kept Brock out of trouble" with painful Poison Jabs… "That's one way of putting it," Ash chuckled. Then again, Dawn never said anything about Croagunk's methods being "gentle," and frankly, neither were Misty's or Max' unpleasant ear-pulls. _Being brutal is probably the only way to override Brock's girl-crazy mode._

"Dare I even ask…?" Dawn started, grabbing Ash's attention from across the campsite. "…But with you and Brock traveling for so long…" she paused, grinning teasingly. "Well, don't take this the wrong way, but how come _you_ don't act all Brock-ish around girls, Ash? Not that I'm complaining, but after traveling with someone like Brock for so long, it's amazing how nothing's rubbed off."

Honestly, Ash was also amazed such never happened, not that he was complaining, either. The boy was aware that upon teenage years, hormones have a tendency to rule the mind, and Ash was not entirely relishing that possibility. After seeing what happened to Brock around girls, Ash did not want to become like him. Ash admired Brock like an older brother, but the teenager's self-proclaimed "bravado" with women was one trait Ash did not revere. In fact, Ash was dead-set not to act "Brock-ish" around girls. For one thing, wooing every female looked embarrassing (at least the way Brock did it), and getting slapped was no fun. Ash got more than his share of slaps when Misty was around, so he was not about to hit on a girl to encourage more slaps.

In time, Ash was sure he would start finding deeper interest in the opposite sex, but for right now, he was perfectly content living the single life. Being in good company of friends and Pokemon ensured Ash never felt lonely. From Ash's perspective, a girlfriend seemed rather unnecessary at this stage in his life. With training, traveling, and badge-collecting being his top priorities, Ash wondered if he would even have time for a so-called 'relationship.' _Traveling doesn't seem to stop Brock, though. Of course, he's not in a 'relationship,' is he?_

Along with the aforementioned reasons, Ash knew there was one "other" reason why he had yet to become Brock II. Dominantly, Ash Ketchum did not know the first thing about women. _Then again, neither does Brock, but I suppose he's a step higher than me._ The boy had a difficult time remembering names and Pokemon attacks; girls were even _harder _to figure out! Misty, May, and Dawn, and other familiar females were good friends, but certain aspects of their personalities left Ash scratching his head.

He loved Misty – _as a friend_, of course! – but even Ash admitted the tomboy was nearly impossible to understand. The redhead fluctuated between acting sweet as candy, to acting as scary as her Gyarados! Misty's mallet-wielding was another quirk Ash did not comprehend (nor was he stupid enough to question her about it, or get up close and personal with the said weapon). Besides, after the infamous bike fiasco, Ash was 99% positive Misty was interested in guys far beyond Ash's clearance level.

Then came May, who was not quite as disturbing as Misty, but her bubbly "May's Expedition" tangents earned a few raised eyebrows from the black-haired boy. At least Ash was not the only person estranged by May's quirk, since Brock and Max never seemed to fathom it, either. Besides, May obviously preferred classier boys like Drew who maintained suave appearances and grace. "Class, suave, and grace" were the dead-last words used to describe Ash Ketchum.

Jessie was…well, Jessie was a completely different story. And as far as Ash was concerned, Jessie was _James_' story, too. Enough said.

There were also plenty other puzzling girls Ash met along his Pokemon quest. Giselle from Pokemon Tech was pretty (_very _pretty, actually, but Ash did not want to sound Brock-ish), but she was too prissy, pompous, and flamboyant for Ash's comfort. Casey was...annoying. Her devotion to the Electabuzz baseball team was commendable, but her obnoxious fan-chant left an awful lot more to be desired. Melody was...interesting, and technically she was the first girl to kiss Ash (not on the lips, though, so maybe she did not count). Gary's teenage sister was..._gorgeous _(again, not to sound Brock-ish), but even Ash knew she was way too old for him. Latias was sweet, but she was also a Pokemon, so her kiss did not count…that is, provided it _was_ Latias who kissed Ash in Alto Mare. Maybe it was Bianca, but no, it could not have been Bianca, could it? _Argh, see? Girls are so confusing!_

Last but not least came Dawn, but Ash only knew her for a shorter while compared to Misty and May. At least Dawn did not randomly carry weapons or pretend she was a newscaster. The blue-haired girl's biggest quirk was her insistent tagline, "No need to worry!" All the same, Ash was not dumb enough to assume he and Dawn's relationship was anything beyond friends, and he was content. Ash often dove headfirst into situations, but a romantic relationship was one thing the boy approached with discretion, if not a little trepidation. Being downright clueless about girls and their whims did not help Ash's situation.

Needless to say, nothing Brock-ish rubbed off on Ash. If anything, the Brock-ish-ness flew over the Ash's head like a jet. This was not to say Ash never noticed girls. He did like some girls – or some _girl_ – more than he liked other ladies. But as far as "romantic relationships" went, Ash decided to stick with Pokemon for the time being.

"I guess I'm just not old enough for that stuff," Ash shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "Frankly, considering how Brock acts, I'm in no hurry, either." All Ash needed was for Pikachu to chaperone him around girls, like Croagunk with Brock. The boy really did not want to get zapped every time a girl crossed Ash's path. Though, considering the umpteen shocks the mouse gave him when they first met, Ash was beginning to wonder if he was shockproof. He was not confident enough to provoke Pikachu to test that theory.

Giggling, Dawn smiled sympathetically. Actually, she was glad Ash was more timid around girls. The raven-haired boy was still too young to be Brock Jr. "I can't say I blame you, Ash," confessed Dawn, knowing she was not quite ready to engage the "boy-crazy" stage in her life just yet, either. Sure, she liked boys, but Dawn was not about to throw herself at every guy within a five-mile radius. Some males stuck in her memory more than others; friends, childhood friends, a _preschool friend_…but Dawn highly doubted _he_ thought about her as much as she thought about him. "Though to be honest, I always thought the real reason you didn't act like Brock was because..." Dawn paused again, playfully smirking. "...You might already have a girlfriend, Ash."

Ash nearly fell off his seat. Thank heavens he was not eating anything this late at night, else he would have choked. Needing a moment to recollect himself, the boy chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah right, Dawn," Ash replied passively, attempting to automatically change the subject. "As if that'll ever happen."

"Oh, I'm sure it will sooner or later," Dawn teased, narrowing her blue eyes and enjoying the unnerved expression painting Ash's face. Of her limited experience with romance (outside soap operas and chick flicks), Dawn always adored how impishly young boys behaved when broached about potential crush interests. "The way you and Brock reminisce, especially about your days with Misty, almost made me think you've got a thing for her."

"'The way I talk about her'?" Ash repeated to himself, sweatdropping rather sheepishly. He never thought he added any extra emotion into discussions of his travels with Misty. Ash always assumed he reminisced about everything via a standard voice, certainly nothing special. Where was Dawn getting this impression? "Why? Do I make a face or something?" Ash knew it was hard for him not to smile when recalling his old adventures. Then again, every one of his past adventures made him smile, not just the Misty-relevant memories.

Dawn giggled, shaking her head. "No, you don't make a face or, anything like that," she reassured, noticing the boy look relieved by her observation. "You just sound so..._happy_, that's all."

Granted, not every one of the days he and Brock traveled with Misty were "happy" (especially when Misty was on another bike-ranting, mallet-swinging rampage). Seriously, Misty was crazy sometimes! But for the most part, recalling his days with the fiery redhead did elate Ash. Crazy or not, Misty was still Ash's best friend. "Well, that's probably because I miss those days, and remembering her does make me happy, Dawn," he admitted, unable to restrain a warm grin. "Reminiscing sometimes makes it feel like Misty never left."

Dawn had to restrain the urge to squeal "aaawww" like a teenybopper at a sleepover. She heard all about the friends Ash and Brock used to travel with: Misty, Tracey, May, and Max. But there was something unique about the stories involving Misty. She was Ash and Brock's first female companion, and the trio had been together the longest. Maybe that was why Misty's memories were the most sacred. Of course, Brock clearly preferred older women, whereas Misty was probably closer to _Ash_'s age.

Unable to resist the opportunity, the blue-haired coordinator took a chance to tease the unsuspecting boy, just for fun. "Hehe, you _do _like her, don't you, Ash?"

Dawn's urge to go "aaawww" intensified when she noticed a streak of blush run across the black-haired boy's nose. "Yeah _right_, Dawn!" Ash chuckled, though it did not sound overly convincing when halfway through his sentence he turned away. Misty was crazy! Crazy! Craaazy! And it was even _crazier_ to think Ash had a thing for her! Yup, totally crazy. "It's not like that, trust me."

"_Oh_?" Dawn inquired coyly, enjoying this little game. She was a preteen girl, after all, and she loved mushy romance just as much as Misty and May. The further she teased Ash, the more obvious it seemed that Misty was extra-special to him. Ash may not be ready for a full-blown relationship, but that never negated secret puppy-love crushes. "How so?"

"Well for starters, Misty's a mallet-toting maniac," diverted Ash.

"Hehe, I think you _like _that aspect of her. It gives Misty personality!" Dawn spoke matter-of-factly, pointing an index finger to the sky. "Sometimes the people who drive you crazy are the ones who leave the biggest impressions. Kenny drove me nuts when we were little, and to this day he knows how to grate my nerves, but we're still close. I'm sure it's similar with you and Misty. Besides, people express their love in unique ways, Ash."

"That's one way of putting it…" admitted Ash, before blinking and re-thinking Dawn's last phrase. _Wait, people express their LOVE in unique ways? Is Dawn thinking...Misty hit me with mallets because she...she...Misty might...l-lo-lov_…

…No, of course not! Misty already told Melody (and everybody else on Shamuti Island) that she did not consider Ash her boyfriend. Then again, one did not need to be dubbed "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" for somebody to secretly have feelings for him or her. Ash swallowed nervously, noticing his surroundings were starting to get warm, even though the campfire was almost extinguished. He could only hope the dwindling light would not expose the color of his face. The way Ash felt, he would not be surprised if his face mirrored a red traffic light. _Could Misty...she might...l-love...ME?_

The poor lighting did little to hide Ash's features, making Dawn finally give into her gushy giggles. Actually, this was a first for her, since she never saw Ash look so impish. She always felt like the two boys she traveled with were polar opposites in regards to girls: Brock was obsessed with women, and Ash was oblivious to them. Yet, here was the so-assumed oblivious boy, hiding and lowering his head in a pitiful effort to conceal his flushed face. It was cute, actually. Sympathetically, Dawn secretly understood Ash's self-consciousness. In preschool, Leona teased Dawn, or "Dee-Dee," in a similar fashion, having gotten the impression that Dawn crushed Kenny! _Sheesh_, just because Dawn and Kenny were close did not mean they harbored deeper feelings. To this day, Dawn failed to understand where Leona got that _craaazy_ idea!

Banishing the blush from her cheeks before Ash could notice, Dawn reverted back to her quarry. Better than anyone, Dawn understood how hurtful it was to be picked on (_especially when teased about something that's NOT true! I mean really, where the heck did Leona get the slightest idea that I liked Kenny? He's so annoying with his "Dee-Dee this" and "Dee-Dee that"! Argh! I'd hate his guts if he weren't so cute…I-I mean OF COURSE I hate his guts!)_. Er, okay, so perhaps Dawn did understand Leona's entertainment in teasing a person about love interests; _It's fun…but only when the person being teased is not you!_ Besides, unlike Dawn and Kenny, it seemed pretty obvious how the furiously flushed Ash felt about Misty. To Dawn, Ash-moments like these were the perks of being a newcomer in the group; being able to see new sides to her companions. Frankly, Dawn somewhat liked this side to Ash. _He's really sweet when he blushes._

Dawn just _had_ to ask, "Have you ever told her?"

Blinking, Ash glanced back at her through the corner of his eye. The poor boy feared if he turned his head he might further embarrass himself. "Told who what?"

Mr. Dense did not have to turn around to embarrass himself. Rolling navy eyes, Dawn sighed softly. "Who _else_, silly?" It was amazing how one minute Ash could be cute, and the next minute he could be clueless. "Have you ever told her you like her!"

"Tell 'who' you like her?" a voice suddenly interrupted, as a recovered Brock strolled back by the campfire, sitting back down beside Ash. Much to Brock's surprise, the younger boy instantly glanced away, avoiding eye contact for dear life. "What'd I miss?" Brock dared to ask, rubbing his hands together. Whatever Ash and Dawn's topic of conversation happened to be, it had to be juicy to render Ash so embarrassed.

For a moment, Dawn wondered if she should confess. Ash may not want Brock to know his secret. Then again, Ash and Brock knew each other for years, close enough to be brothers! In her naivety, Dawn assumed there were no secrets between the boys. Plus, since Brock traveled with Ash and Misty before, the coordinator figured Brock already knew the truth. "That Ash likes Misty."

Brock so nearly did the automatic "no kidding" snort, but did a double-take instead. _Ash likes Misty…meaning Ash SAID he likes her? He finally CONFESSED?_ When it finally dawned on Brock, off went his girl-crazy mode, and on went his "love doctor" mode!

"CONGRATULATIONS, man!" Brock energetically applauded Ash, vigorously patting the boy's shoulder. "Wow, it's about time you admitted your feelings for her!" Naturally, Brock already assumed Ash and Misty liked each other, but were too pigheaded to admit it. Even Tracey suspected the kids crushed each other. Thus, the teenagers never thought the days of confessions would come, but Ash was bound to grow up eventually. "Admitting you love someone is always the hardest step, but now that hard part's done!" And to think, just as Dawn said, Ash was already reaching the stage of _telling Misty_ his feelings! _Where was I when Ash grew up?_ Brock wondered. _Oh well_, now that he knew the truth, it was time for Brock The Love Doctor to work his magic. With two big thumbs-up, Brock flashed a confident grin to Ash. "Fear not, buddy! With my pick-up lines there's no way Misty will reject you!"

Ash wanted to crawl under the log he sat upon.

_The only thing Brock's pick-up lines will get me is a slap in the face!_

Why, oh why did Dawn not keep her big mouth shut? Why did this innocent conversation have to escalate to madness? And why in Mew's name was Ash _blushing_ so much? If he felt nothing for Misty, he should not be acting like this, right? And it was not as though Misty liked _Ash_, right? Crazy! Misty always denied any feelings for Ash, so there was nothing to worry about, _right_? Then again, whenever people teased Misty of liking Ash, her emotions tended to mimic Ash's current behavior: flushed, avoiding eye contact...

Ash's brown eyes widened.

_…Maybe…maybe Misty...DOES...like...me!_

And if – _supposedly_ – Ash did not like Misty, why did that last thought make the boy feel so..._hopeful?_

Just when campfire stories used to be boring, Buneary found an interesting topic. Like her trainer, Buneary was very interested in romance, just on the Pokemon level. It was nice to see a human acting sheepishly regarding the subject of love, which was often how Buneary reacted. She was shy, and often buried her red face into her fur…much how the boy buried his face into his hands while his friends played the game of "Let's Tease Ash!" Ash might not be Buneary's trainer, but the rabbit sympathized with him. After all, Buneary acted just as shy and blushy whenever she was near…

"Pikapi?"

Buneary's heart raced instantaneously upon watching a blur of yellow run past her, scampering to the campfire commotion. As if Butterfrees danced inside her stomach, Buneary felt her cheeks redden. The electric object of her affection reached Ash's feet, curious why Dawn and Brock were picking on the mouse's master. So compassionate and so concerned, the Electric Pokemon always put others before himself, like a dashing prince.

_Pikachu…_

Buneary's eyes glossed over dreamily. The electric rodent was so cute; his silky yellow fur and big brown eyes intoxicated Buneary's throbbing heart. She fell in love with Pikachu the moment she saw him. It was the classic cliché of "love at first sight." But aside romance, that mouse was everything Buneary admired and wanted to become: strong, attractive, brave, and undeniably adorable. Pikachu was everything Buneary ever wanted.

Yet...there was trouble in paradise.

First and foremost, while Buneary understood her feelings for the Electric Type, she did not know _Pikachu_'s side of the story. Quite frankly, "like trainer, like Pokemon." Pikachu did not seem any quicker on romance than his master. Then again, Buneary was too shy to be overly direct, though she was getting bolder. It was harder to control herself when she watched Pikachu's magnificent Volt Tackle, which was almost enough to make Buneary faint with glee. As long as Pikachu was not nearby, Buneary had no qualms about acting girly and gushy. But whenever the mouse was close, the bunny hid her face.

Why?

Why _else_?

Buneary feared the romantically-challenged Pikachu did not return her feelings.

Or _did_ he? A while ago, Buneary, Pikachu, and the other Pokemon got lost in a labyrinthine outdoor maze. Pikachu was the one who found Buneary, and to sweeten the deal, Pikachu even let Buneary _hold his hand_! It was Buneary's dream come true! Had it not been for Happiny tagging along, Buneary would have kissed Pikachu. Still, holding hands was a definite bonus. The bunny's heart nearly burst out of her chest when she felt Pikachu's paw in hers; so soft and warm. If it is possible to fall in love all over again (ten times over), that was what happened to Buneary on that day.

_Maybe Pikachu...DOES like me_, Buneary wondered as she eyed the mouse from afar. That was always what Buneary did: watch Pikachu from a distance. Sadly, merely watching was not very satisfying. Buneary wanted to hold Pikachu's hand again, hug him, and even kiss him. On a few instances back in the maze, Buneary was almost tempted to _purposely _get herself lost with Pikachu, just to prolong their bonding.

Any time spent with Pikachu was priceless. The mouse was too adorable for words! His Pokemon impressions were priceless, and Buneary was incredibly flattered when Pikachu impersonated her during the Sinnoh Dress-Up Contest. Maybe that was a hint, too. Maybe all this time, Pikachu was sending Buneary subtle notes. After all, who said Buneary was the "only" Pokemon afraid of unrequited love? Pikachu might be in the same situation, shyly waiting for Buneary to make a move. Brock did claim the confession of one's feelings is the biggest challenge. Once Buneary and Pikachu overcame that hurdle, smoother sailing may be in their futures.

Either way, Buneary was not willing to let Pikachu slip through her grasp. She always feared Pikachu might have met another Pokemon during his travels, animals that he may fall for, too. Like humans, Pokemon chatted amongst themselves. During one past conversation, Pikachu recalled his encounter with _other_ Pikachu. One mouse was nicknamed Sparky, and Pikachu always gave the Pokemon his highest praise and admiration. Buneary was unsure of Sparky's gender, but if Sparky were a female…then Buneary had better start making her move!

_But how? Brock said admitting one's feelings is the hardest part!_

_But...then again_... paused Buneary, grinning widely as she stole another glance at the electric love of her life. _Brock also said that if two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers will meet and may fall in love, too._ True, Brock's Butterfree scheme proved unsuccessful, and Buneary was not thrilled with the idea of matchmaking Pokemon for human benefit, either. But in retrospect and with deeper consideration, Brock's concept was not as sick as Buneary once believed.

Pokemon and trainers tended to think and act alike. Dawn and Buneary loved to dress-up and perform, and Ash and Pikachu were similar enough to be human/Pokemon incarnates of each other. Their likes and dislikes were not overly different. Buneary liked cute Pokemon boys, and she knew her trainer liked cute human boys. Both Ash and Pikachu were dense about girls, but the boy and mouse obviously shared love for adventure, battle, and food. Surprisingly, there were minimal dissimilarities between Buneary with Dawn and Pikachu with Ash. Was it so outlandish to assume these near-identical Pokemon and humans could not share romance preferences?

If that were the case, and if humans and Pokemon could potentially fall in love with similar objects of affection, then Brock's idea was not 100% half-baked desperation. Buneary was not certain about Ash and Dawn's "other" possible love interests. She occasionally heard banter about a "Misty" and a "Kenny" before, but where were they right now? Was it not true that long-distance relationships fail? If that were the case, then nobody else in the current group was available for Dawn and Ash to fancy. Brock's interest in older women negated his threat and isolated Ash and Dawn. And while Buneary was not fond of people toying with Pokemon for human gain, the rabbit was more receptive to _Pokemon gain_.

If Brock believed Pokemon romance would trigger human romance, Buneary found it feasible to believe human romance could trigger Pokemon romance. Truthfully and technically, if Brock and Buneary's schemes worked, then benefits would be reaped for _both_ trainer and Pokemon. There was nothing sick about a win-win situation where both sides live happily ever after.

_Maybe, if two trainers fall in love, their Pokemon will fall in love, too!_

For once, Buneary tore her eyes away from the handsome Pikachu. Instead of ogling her favorite Pokemon, Buneary's eyes fell upon a different sight. This time around, Pikachu was not the rabbit's major concern at the moment. Instead, Buneary's eyes locked onto her blue-haired master and the black-haired boy. If Buneary's trainer and Pikachu's trainer fell in love, maybe...just maybe...

_...Pikachu and I will finally fall in love!_

**To Be Continued…**

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**A/N**: For newer Pokefans unaware of Brock's "If two people's Pokemon fall in love…" theory, it's derived from the "Bye Bye, Butterfree" episode in the first anime season. Classic.

** As a special bonus for "Cupid Wears Buneary Ears," readers are welcome to click my profile for URL links to new fanart just for this story (drawn by yours truly, no less)! **

Updates/chapter postings for this fanfic will probably be weekly, baring unforeseen delays. Sadly, with winter-weather knock knock kockin' on my door, along with the hectic holidays, delays may occur. However, I promise any delays/notifications will be posted on my profile.

Reviews are always appreciated. I hope readers enjoy themselves during this story, along with enjoying this holiday season!


	2. When Cupid's Ice Beam Strikes

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_

**COMMENTS**: Many, many thanks to readers and reviewers of CWBE's premiere! Especially after my hiatus, it's very reassuring for me to be welcomed back to FFnet. I'll be sure to thank everyone profusely between now and the end of this fic, but for the record: Thank you so much! *^.^*

So now, show of hands: Who thinks our naïve little bunny rabbit will pull-off playing cupid (successfully)? Read and see!

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**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Two ~ * ~ When Cupid's Ice Beam Strikes ~ * ~**

The next morning proved hectic for Ash, Dawn, and Brock…"hectic" in more ways than one.

Dawn was busy fixing her horrendous bed-head inside her tent. She took pride in her long and lovely navy hair, even though long hair was more cumbersome to manage whilst traveling on the road. Meanwhile, Brock and his frying pan were cooking breakfast: sizzling scrambled eggs and bacon. And last but not least came Ash and Pikachu, who high-tailed to a faraway Kelpsy grove to train. Whenever the boy chose a fruit-filled clearing to train, it meant Ash would be gone for the majority of the day, and berries would compensate missed meals.

Even better, training was the perfect excuse for Ash to avoid Brock's "now-let's-get-you-ready-to-tell-Misty-you-like-her" sessions. After last night's fiasco, Brock became Ash's personal amoretto, or at least Brock's definition of such. As sweet as Brock was to offer his assistance, Ash did not want _anything_ to do with it! Contrary to Brock's bravado, the teenager was not exactly Casanova. The last thing Ash needed was to act Brock-ish around Misty, and the redhead would launch an ear-pull attack on Ash! But Brock was dead-set on "helping" the boy, and almost every other word out of the teen's mouth had something to do with girls (more than usual). Heck, Ash was half-expecting the "when-a-man-and-a-woman-fall-in-love" lecture in the near future. He already knew about that stuff, but something was telling him Brock would not believe it. For the life of him, Ash could not fathom why most people were under the assumption that the black-haired boy was not overly bright. Oh well. Either way, Ash really did not want to deal with Brock this morning. Whether or not Ash understood the birds and the bees, heavens knew Brock took advantage of _any _opportunity to talk about women.

Since Pikachu was off with his trainer, now was Buneary's perfect chance to tend to the first part of her operation. All night, the rabbit concocted plans of getting Dawn and Ash together, which was no small feat. Buneary was not very familiar with "what" turned on humans.

_Do humans do courtship dances? Do they sniff each other?_ Pokemon usually did the aforementioned to achieve successful mating, but did the same apply to people? Buneary recalled Brock's attempts to seduce females, but a.) his attempts never succeeded, and b.) his attempts never involved dances or sniffs. If Buneary believed Pokemon romance could trigger human romance, and vice versa, was it possible that mating rituals between species were similar as well? _Hmm, maybe that's why Brock doesn't have a girlfriend. Next time he meets a lady, he should try sniffing her–_

Strangely, a little voice inside Buneary told her that method would not work.

If Buneary intended to pair Dawn and Ash, she needed to think more like a human, less like a Pokemon. But with only Brock as her best example of human romance, Buneary had her work cut out for her. _This isn't going to be easy, is it?_

However, the rabbit did notice how Brock seemed attracted to "pretty" girls. _Does that mean humans are most attracted to their mate's appearances? _Pokemon were not so shallow, though Buneary did think Pikachu was a…_Um, now, how do humans say it?_ Buneary pondered for a minute, before remembering the correct name: "_Hot-Tea_." She did not understand what tea had to do with a guy's handsomeness, but human slang was never a Pokemon's forte. Whatever the case, if human boys liked pretty girls then Dawn must be primped for Ash. It was imperative that Ash consider Dawn a hot-tea, and fortunately for Buneary, her coordinator loved dolling up herself. Prettying Dawn was sure to be no hassle.

Cautiously entering Dawn's tent, Buneary stifled giggles upon finding her trainer. On her knees, the poor girl battled a futile war of hairbrush versus frizzy blue hair. If Buneary did not act soon, Piplup would be called to rinse Dawn's bed-head, inadvertently beating the bunny to the punch line. Since everything was part of Buneary's plan, Buneary wanted to be the Pokemon to beautify Dawn. She could not afford Piplup or anyone else botching her scheme. _If you want something done right, you must do it yourself_, and no doubt, Buneary wanted her plan to work. This was for Pikachu, and Buneary left zero room for error. Steeling herself, Buneary's paw tapped Dawn's sock-covered foot. "Bun?"

"Oh, hey Buneary!" Dawn noticed, giving her hair a temporary ceasefire to invite Buneary into a morning hug. Truly, Buneary would have preferred getting hugged by Pikachu, but snuggling with Dawn was not so bad. Unlike Pikachu, Dawn knew _just _how to rub behind Buneary's big ears, and the massage made Buneary melt. If only Dawn could teach that technique to Pikachu, then Buneary would be in seventh heaven. "Good morning…though, heh, considering the way I look, I should probably say 'good _evening_'," Dawn impishly sweatdropped, eyeing the fashion disaster she called her hair. "I look like something that crawled out of a graveyard at midnight!"

Buneary rolled her eyes, knowing Dawn was just exaggerating. _Dawn's bed-head resembles a cross between a Tangela and a Jolteon, not a zombie_. Maybe Buneary's interpretation was not much more flattering. Regardless, Buneary reminded herself why she originally entered the tent, and gracefully hopped out of Dawn's arms.

"Bun! Bun!" squeaked the Pokemon, pointing from Dawn's bed-head to the rabbit's mouth. First things first! If Buneary was going to pair Dawn with Ash, Dawn needed to look her best. Bed-head was unattractive, but perhaps a new hairstyle would draw the black-haired boy's interest. Buneary was no stylist, but surely she could do a much better job fixing Dawn's hair than Piplup's Bubblebeam…right?

It took a moment for Dawn to translate what her bunny attempted to communicate, but she quickly understood. "Ice Beam my bed-head?" she double-checked, coercing Buneary's bouncy nod. The coordinator contemplated for a moment: _Ice Beam? Well, why not?_ After all, Ice Beaming bed-head would only be a colder variation of Piplup's Bubblebeam, _Er, okay, MUCH colder._ But maybe the ice would freeze Dawn's hair into place and eliminate the cursed bed-head once and for all. _It's worth a shot!_ If anyone could rescue Dawn from her endless bed-head battle, she would be forever grateful.

"Well, it's worth a shot!" Dawn nodded enthusiastically, turning around to give Buneary a clear shot of her snarly blue hair. _No need to worry! How bad could Ice Beam be, anyway?_ "Okay, Buneary! Ice Beam!"

Two seconds later…

The forest shook by an ear-piercing, blood-curdling, apocalypse-styled female scream. Outside the tent, the cooking Brock instantly covered his ears. Unfortunately, blocking his ears required him to absentmindedly drop his frying pan. Brock joined Dawn's screams the moment hot metal collided with his left foot. The racket resonated all over the forest like a flawless domino effect. Starlies evacuated trees near the Kelpsy clearing where Ash and Pikachu trained. Ash blocked his own ears, while the commotion distracted and disrupted Pikachu's Volt Tackle. Unable to shield its own sensitive ears from the noise, the disgruntled (and deaf) Pikachu accidentally tackled a tree. Naturally, Ash rushed to his injured Pokemon, and naturally, the pent-up electricity from Pikachu's ruined Volt Tackle used _Ash _as a lightning rod. If anything or anyone were previously sleeping in that forest, they were now fully awake thanks to the wake-up call of three kids' individual screams. The domino's hullabaloo was boisterous enough to awaken Dawn's aforementioned zombies!

* * *

"Oww, my head..." Dawn moaned as she sat at the group's foldable picnic table, elbows on the table with one hand supporting her throbbing wet head. The good news: Buneary eradicated Dawn's loathsome bed-head. Dawn's navy hair was silky smooth and shimmering like sapphire. The bad news: Buneary's Ice Beam nearly froze Dawn's _brain _in the process! Thank heavens Dawn's hairdryer ran on batteries, else she would have had no way to thaw-out her hair (which was a solid block of ice when Buneary finished). _Memo to self_, self-chastised Dawn._ Ice Beaming a person's head is NOT smart AT ALL!_ Not that Dawn could blame Buneary. The Pokemon was only trying to help, and Dawn did allow, even order, Buneary to use Ice Beam. Of course, Dawn also said "No need to worry," which was when everyone worried the most!

"Oww, my foot..." Brock also moaned as he hobbled on his good leg, his left still aching. The teenager was lucky his sneaker got the worst end of the dropped pan, protecting his foot from sustaining burns. Of course, Brock's foot still throbbed as if it were crushed under a Snorlax. Limping to the table, Brock served a pitiful breakfast, as the delicious bacon and scrambled eggs he originally cooked were lost the moment his frying pan went sailing. And since Brock could no longer "stand" over a fire to prepare more food, and since neither Dawn nor Ash could cook, Brock had to scrounge through his backpack for an easy meal. All he found was a bag of sweetened cereal, originally Bonsly's snack when he started eating solid foods. Now that Bonsly was Sudowoodo, the Rock Pokemon had no need for cereal, thus crowning the kids' breakfast. Too bad Brock used the rest of the milk to make the lost scrambled eggs, too. The trio did not even have milk to go along with their cereal, nor was there enough cereal for everyone to be satisfied. Each kid got only two handfuls. Brock knew their stomachs would be sending complaints later. _Hopefully by later_, he prayed, _I'll be able to WALK again!_

"Oww, my everything..." Ash made three, slumping in his chair and resting his head against the table. It was not even ten o'clock that morning, and already he wanted to go back to bed. The bazillion volts Pikachu sent him did not help, either. At least two good things came out of the mishap: 1.) Pikachu's run-in with the tree looked worse than it appeared, meaning the mouse was fine. And 2.) Pikachu's Volt Tackle was getting _very _powerful. Paul could not call Ash a loser once he saw Pikachu's improved Volt Tackle, provided Ash _lived _long enough to bump into his rival again. Brock was not the only person barely walking that morning. Every muscle and fiber ached through the little boy's body. Plus, as if Ash was not dealing with enough bodily pains, his stomach lamented over the pathetic breakfast. He chastised himself for not taking advantage of the Kelpsy berries abundantly growing in the clearing he and Pikachu recently trained. Of course, had Ash known anything like _this_ would happen, he would have seized the fruit feast when the opportunity presented itself. But as hungry as he felt, Ash was too achy to search the forest for food. Knowing he certainly could not bug the near-handicapped Brock to cook, Ash bit his tongue and slouched further, nearly doubling-over had it not been for his cheek flat against the tabletop. Discreetly whimpering, Ash wrapped arms around his grumbling midsection, doing little to diminish hunger pains. He did not care about training anymore. Returning to bed and restarting the day was more appealing.

Okay, perhaps Buneary's scheme was not quite as error-proof as she originally envisioned. For safety's sake, the rabbit kept herself scarce inside Dawn's tent. Dawn's new hairdo did not go according to plan, but it was too soon for Buneary to give up.

_If at first you don't succeed, try and try again!_

But now, the tricky part was that Dawn and her friends were hurting and in sour moods. Buneary could not expect Ash and Dawn to get together while they were on death's door! Back at the Jubilife City Pokemon Center, Dawn and her Pokemon watched an interesting TV show, something humans called "soap opera." Buneary failed to fathom the show's nickname, because the episode had nothing to do with soap or opera singers, but that was beside the point. In the show, two people confessed their feelings while one of them was dying in a hospital. Very sad story, but a very romantic story, too. Lots of kisses, hugs, tears, "I love yous"…all the romance trimmings that lead to four large tissue boxes being emptied amongst Dawn, her Pokemon, and Brock. Still, regardless if deathbed love confessions worked, Buneary immediately nixed the idea. The rabbit's Ice Beam stunt almost caused an actual deathbed situation, which was something Buneary did not want on her conscience. Yes, Buneary was desperate for Pikachu's affections. However, she was not desperate enough to bring death upon her precious trainer, or bring death upon Pikachu's precious trainer, either.

Buneary needed to re-think her strategy, preferably sans lethal force. Besides, Dawn and her friends needed their own time to recuperate. Maybe with a little rest and luck, everyone would feel better later in the day. A temporary ceasefire would benefit everyone, especially Buneary. The matchmaking rabbit imperatively needed to reevaluate her scheme and make it truly, no-questions-asked foolproof.

_After all_, Buneary knew with a blushy smile. _This is for Pikachu!_

* * *

Buneary admitted her Ice Beam trick was a bad idea, but she was not quite ready to rule-out her Ice Beam altogether. Considering the hard work she did to master the icy yet beautiful attack, proud Buneary was not about to dismiss Ice Beam's usefulness. Lethal force was out of the question, of course. The rabbit just needed to use her Ice Beam in a wiser (and hopefully safer) way. Perhaps she was ignorant. In the end, an attack was only as good as the Pokemon using it.

Dawn's makeover opportunity was gone, since the girl tidied herself by now. At least Dawn knew how to make herself look pretty without anyone's assist, so Buneary decided to bypass primping. The bunny just hoped Dawn looked pretty enough for Ash to consider her a hot-tea. But in retrospect, the bunny doubted Ash was fussy about girls' looks, since it would not kill the boy to learn how to comb his own messy hair. Of course, Buneary was not about to Ice Beam Pikachu's beloved master and accidentally angry Buneary's own beloved.

Her next idea? Inadvertently, Pikachu offered greater inspiration for Buneary's Phase 2. It was impossible for Buneary to think about Pikachu without remembering their adventure in the outdoor maze. Holding Pikachu's hand was all it took for Buneary to melt. Better than anyone, Buneary knew handholding was an instant winner! Surely, Pokemon handholding and human handholding could not be different, could they? Buneary could only pray. After all, holding hands with Pikachu was one of the happiest moments in Buneary's life. All she needed to do was find a way for Ash and Dawn to share that same rapturous experience.

Off the top of her head, Buneary did not remember seeing Ash and Dawn hold hands, or at least hold hands in the way Buneary wanted. True, the bunny did remember their dangerous adventure in Alamos Town. Buneary admitted that Pikachu's master was not the brightest bulb on a Christmas tree, but Ash was valiant enough to try and save Dawn from falling to her death. He grabbed Dawn's hand when she fell, and she returned the favor to Ash when he lost his own balance. Of course, Alamos' near-apocalyptic battle between the space-time gods Palkia and Dialga hardly counted as a "romantic occasion." During such pandemonium, Ash and Dawn clearly had more important matters on their minds than love. The boy and girl's hands just entwined because neither wanted to see the other die. And while Ash and Dawn's caring for one another _was_ "love," it was not necessarily the type of love Buneary was shooting towards.

Some epic romance movies used a similar tact of having couples fall in love as the world ends. Apocalypse-romance always intensified films, but from a Pokemon-critic's perspective, Buneary considered the cliché nonsensical. Why bother falling in love when the world is five minutes away from being destroyed, when everybody is seconds away from dying? Everything was all well and good as long as the couple _survived_. But in some movies, couples perished mere minutes after the "I love yous" and passionate kisses! The end! No happily ever after! Couples cannot exactly live happily ever after when they only "live" shortly before the world goes kaput. The only couples who benefit from such short-lived relationships are people afraid of long-term commitments. Better late than never, perhaps, but Buneary was more of a "happily ever after – forever and ever and _ever_" type of girl.

Thus, Buneary did not have high faith in apocalypse-romance. Besides, if the Alamos adventure _did_ ignite sparks between Ash and Dawn, then Buneary would not be playing cupid right now. Matchmaking did not need the overcomplicated distractions of mass destruction and Pokemon wars, anyhow. What Dawn and Ash needed were their feelings for each other to blossom like flowers: gradually and under serene circumstances. No flower could flourish in the middle of a chaotic bonfire, so it would be Buneary's responsibility to nurture this flower. If the rabbit did her job correctly, the fruits of her labor would be bountiful.

Thus began Plan B.

* * *

Luck may not have been on Ash, Dawn, or Brock's sides, but Buneary was more fortunate…so she thought. By noontime, when the kids could feel blood circulate again, moods lifted. Buneary received no reprimands for her Ice Beam, since Dawn blamed herself for permitting the Ice Beam. Thankfully, their wounds were minor, no (permanent) harm done, so this morning's fiasco quickly became something the trainers could laugh about. The day was young, and everyone had better things to preoccupy their minds. Buneary was sure to thank the gods of good fortune for smiling down upon her.

Brock busied himself with preparing Pokechow before cooking the humans' lunches, much to the animals' appreciations. Like trainer like Pokemon, Pikachu never missed an opportunity for food. While Pikachu and the other hungry Pokemon surrounded Brock, Buneary inched closer to Dawn and Ash's location.

Both youngsters sat on the green grass, each beside a respective pile of personal belongings. Dawn's pile was comprised of Poffins, combs, and other toiletries for grooming her contest Pokemon. Conversely, Ash's pile was littered with badges and Pokeballs requiring some well-deserved polishing. And it just-so-happened that both piles were conveniently next to each other.

_Perfect_. Smiling mischievously, Buneary snuck closer.

Humming a peppy tune, Dawn brushed Pachiriru's bushy tail, pleasing the electric squirrel. But if there was anything Pachirisu loved more than being brushed, it was being fed Dawn's delicious Poffins. After a few of the Electric Type's impatient squirms, Dawn giggled before setting down her hairbrush.

"Okay, I get it," humored the girl, reaching for a pink oval Poffin. Since Pachirisu had yet to join Brock and the other Pokemon's lunch, the squirrel's jitteriness was understandable. "Here ya go, Pachiriru. Just let me finish brushing out a few more kinks and then you can go eat lunch, okay?"

While a satisfied Pachirisu took her time nibbling the snack, Dawn's hand lingered back to her brush. When her fingers only felt cool blades of grass, the coordinator looked downward. Perplexed by only finding more grass, Dawn's blue eyes blinked a double-take.

_Um…where'd my brush go? Didn't I just set it down here?_ Surely, Dawn could not be seeing things. Buneary's Ice Beam was strong, but it could not have caused _that_ much brain damage. Maybe Dawn was mistaken.

Dawn was not the only person in search of suddenly-missing belongings. Granted, Ash realized he was not the most observant person to grace Sinnoh (or Kanto, or Johto, or…_Um, point taken_). Nevertheless, he could have sworn he placed his badge case right next to himself, and now the slim metal box vanished! Typically, Ash automatically went on high-alert whenever anything happened to his dear badges. He took on a flock of Murkrow that dared steal his Johto badges, and he made a fishing fool of himself up against the mischievous Wiscash that swiped his Hoenn case. But whenever it came to Ash Ketchum and his badges – his tickets to entering the Sinnoh League and becoming Pokemon Master – the boy took badge-theft extremely seriously.

"Ash? Um, isn't this yours?"

Fortunately for his nerves, Ash need not look far before finding his badge case in Dawn's offered hand. A wave of utmost relief washed over the near-overreacting boy. Although, he did not fathom why Dawn had his badge case in the first place. Was Dawn admiring Ash's badges? Dawn was a coordinator, more interested in ribbons than badges, but the haughty Ash never begrudged anyone the opportunity to ogle the future Pokemon Master's impressive accomplishments. Perhaps he was getting ahead (or full) of himself (again).

Whatever the matter, Ash was just thrilled to know his hard-earned Sinnoh badges were safe and sound. Smiling a sigh, Ash gratefully extended his hand to reclaim his case. "Oh, thanks, Dawn."

"No problem. It was next to my Poffin case," nodded Dawn, though neither she nor Ash quite understood how the badge case wandered into Dawn's pile. Stranger, the girl's blue eyes were not directly looking at Ash. Rather, she seemed to be looking off to Ash's _side_. "Though, would you mind handing me Pachirisu's hairbrush?"

Doing another double-take, the blinking Ash followed Dawn's gaze to a small plastic brush innocently lying beside his thigh. _How'd that get there? _He wondered, realizing again he was not the most observant person to grace Sinnoh, or Hoenn, or… _Nevermind_. Even so, Ash had no reason to fiddle with Dawn's brush, there being a love-hate relationship between hairbrushes and his unruly raven hair. And, in spite of Ash's bruised ego, he also realized Dawn had no reason to take his badges without asking. So therein laid the question: _How'd our stuff get mixed up?_

Out of sight and earshot, Buneary's paws stifled giggles.

Already their day began on a weird note, and to Dawn and Ash's displeasure, the day's weirdness did not seem ready to quit. But with no harm done this time, the trainer and coordinator made an easy exchange. The badge exchange being first, Ash then followed by placing Dawn's brush in her case-freed hand…

…Their palms and fingers mere centimeters away from each other's.

True, it was not a classic or cliché scenario of handholding, but Buneary knew she would have to improvise. Who needed stereotypes, anyway? This was the closest Ash and Dawn ever got to holding hands, and when the opportunity presented itself, Buneary seized the moment!

Sneakily creeping behind Dawn's back, Buneary eyed Pachirisu's bushy tail, waging contently as the baby-blue squirrel finished eating her Poffin. Beside her was Dawn's Poffin case, the canister slightly ajar and filled with more pink sweets. Having spent more time on matchmaking, Buneary missed lunch and noticed her mouth water at the sight of Dawn's Poffins. But a rumbling tummy was a small price to pay for Pikachu's heart! Snatching another Poffin, Buneary wound her arm like a baseball pitcher before the pink ball soared. Like a radar-detecting Venonat, Pachirisu's ears perked instantly, glistening eyes locked onto the shooting star of deliciousness.

Not a second later did the squeaking squirrel launch off Dawn's lap, causing the surprised girl to yelp and jump. Dawn being not the only person caught off guard by Pachirisu's outburst, Ash jumped and felt the plastic brush unintentionally slip from his palm. And Dawn still absentmindedly intending to reclaim her brush from Ash's hand, her palm accidentally met his.

Buneary beamed victoriously.

Regardless if it was – or was not – a classic or cliché scenario, the end result was the clincher. Just as Buneary intended, Ash and Dawn were finally holding hands! Even better, Buneary noticed the kids looked flustered and surprised by the physical contact. Such was understandable and to be expected. All too well, Buneary knew how startling a first handhold could be. Time stops and neither holder is entirely certain what to do, say, or feel afterwards. But once the shock subsided, the feelings of ecstasy were sure to follow! Dawn and Ash would fall head over heels for each other, and Buneary and Pikachu could live happily ever after!

…Right?

Neither Ash nor Dawn quite knew what to make of their current situation. This day of oddities never ceased to amaze them. Indeed, their hands were touching, albeit their fingers refrained from lacing or squeezing the hold. The gesture was loose, strange, and more awkward than anything else. Hands felt clammy, yet neither kid was 100% certain about what just happened, and more importantly, what they should do next. Blue eyes met brown eyes, both pairs estranged and silently asking unanswerable questions. Both Ash and Dawn seemed to be expecting the other to make the first move.

Being that it was her hungry Pachirisu that caused the upset (or so Dawn thought), the coordinator took it upon herself to respond first. Words tangled in her mouth, and tension seemed to get more and more palpable as the seconds ticked. What was this awkwardness she felt? Was it embarrassment? Or…

"Oh! Excuse me!" Dawn finally blurted out, eyes wide and with a faint tinge of pink on her cheeks. She was not entirely certain why she was blushing, nor did she intend to shuffle through her feelings whilst holding Ash's hand. Then again, there was no need to be flustered, right? There was nothing wrong with two good friends innocently holding hands! Preschool-aged Dawn sometimes held Kenny's hand, just to be nice, although in retrospect Dawn could not understood why she acted nice to a boy who irritatingly called her "Dee-Dee." Naturally, spunky Leona always gushingly teased Dawn and Kenny.

_"Haha! Dawn, you're blushing! I knew it! 'Dee-Dee and Kenny sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G'!"_

_B-but Leona was just being silly!_ Kenny was clumsy and Dawn's hand helped prevent him from falling and scraping his knees. Dawn was not sadistic, and she never liked to see one of her friends injured. _Yup, handholding is absolutely innocent!_ So there was no reason for Dawn to mind touching Ash's hand. After all, Ash liked Misty, and Dee-Dee liked… Dawn immediately changed the subject. "Sorry about Pachirisu, Ash!"

Ash did not think Dawn should apologize for Pachirisu's silliness. He was not angry, just baffled. The boy was ill accustomed to frequently holding hands with the opposite sex. Had this moment occurred when he was a few years younger, physical contact with an icky female would have sent little Ash screaming bloody murder and dashing in the opposite direction. But now that Ash was (somewhat) more mature, touching a girl's hand did not feel "icky," just…strange.

Then again, his and Dawn's handholding was innocent. It was nothing to worry about. Once, Ash held Misty's hand then they got lost in a forest. Their surroundings were concealed in pea soup-thick fog in the middle of the night, visibility near zero. It was imperative that the kids hold hands, else everybody would have gotten lost. Again, purely innocent handholding! And Ash did not care what Pikachu claimed; the boy's face reddened because he was fatigued after a long travel. It had nothing to with Misty's soft hand caressing Ash's, really! Pikachu had just been seeing things thanks to the fog. _Yup, handholding is absolutely positively innocent!_

The moment's awkwardness increasing, Ash also chose to change the subject. "Oh, uh, no problem, Dawn," he smiled skittishly, unsure what to do or say to ease the moment. Ash was never an eloquent speaker, especially when he became flustered. The last thing he wanted to say was something stupid, or something that might offend Dawn. He did not blame her for any of today's nonsense. But if locking hands proved awkward, then unlocking hands would solve the problem, so Ash's hand gradually loosened.

Buneary did not want that to happen.

The rabbit's eyes widened in horror as she began to see a gap grow between Dawn and Ash's palms. _No, no, NO!_ Ash and Dawn were not supposed to separate hands so quickly, if ever! How could they fall in love if the kids avoided physical contact? Buneary intended to give Ash and Dawn's relationship a nudge, but perhaps they needed a stronger push. The magic of handholding was enchanting, but only if the couple's hands touched for more than a few measly seconds!

Somehow, Buneary needed a way to prolong Ash and Dawn's handholding, but how? Pachirisu and the other Pokemon were too far away to provide further distractions, meaning Buneary was on her own. How could she distract the kids? Furthermore, how could she distract the kids whilst ensuring their hands remained entwined? The seconds available for Buneary to react were dwindling faster than summer heat melting ice.

_Ice…_

It was given that Buneary did not have a large amount of time to plan, and given that she never ruled-out a non-lethal Ice Beam, while also given that she was 100% desperate. No, she was not thinking as clearly as she should, and her big mouth took action before Buneary heeded common sense (often like Ash behaved). Nonetheless, before Dawn, Ash, and even Buneary knew what happened, an electric-blue Ice Beam streamed towards the boy and girl's separating hands.

This time, when Buneary's Ice Beam hit, Dawn was not the only person to scream.

For the second time today, Brock nearly jumped out of his skin when his eardrums were pierced by high-pitched screams. If he had not known better, Brock would have sworn he was in the middle of some horror movie set in a scream-echoing haunted forest. Fortunately, Brock suffered no injuries during this new scream-fest. Realizing his dear friends were the sources of the racket, the teenager, Pikachu, and a few other Pokemon raced to Ash and Dawn's sides. One hand covered Brock's pounding heart, and his other hand…

…Covered his mouth before Brock burst into hysterics.

"OW, OW, _OOW_! COLD, COLD! _COOOOOLD_!" Dawn shrieked, much as she did when Buneary Ice Beamed her hair earlier. This time around, the crazy rabbit Ice Beamed her hand, the same hand inconveniently atop Ash's! In an attempt to keep their blood warm, the two kids began wildly shaking their hands and arms. This, of course, looked utterly ridiculous from Brock's viewpoint, like watching the silliest and most embarrassing Teeter Dance. For Dawn, this scenario was the craziest spin-off of handcuffing a couple, but instead of handcuffs, Buneary fused her and Ash's hands together in solid ice!

Very, very _cold_ ice.

"HAIRDRYER! HAIRDRYER! _HURRY_!" Dawn cried to Brock. Surely, big brother Brock would help poor Dawn and Ash…right? Too bad for the frozen ones, Brocko gave into his laughter and began rolling on the ground. She wanted to give the teenager a piece of her mind, but Dawn was beginning to lose feeling in her fingers. Biting her lip, she noticed the precious hairdryer in her pile of Pokemon cosmetics and made a dive for it...

...But instead fell face-first into the grass. As if face-planting into the ground was not painful enough, Dawn's scream doubled when her tagalong Ash careened onto her back after being painfully dragged along. It was amazing how Dawn could forget about Ash when he was painfully fused to her hand! She probably dislocated his arm just by diving for her stupid hairdryer, but as long as her trusty hairdryer defrosted their hands, their problems would be solved. No need to worry!

Naturally, Brock's laughs doubled when Dawn's plastic hairdryer failed to produce any heat. The scatterbrained coordinator forgot she drained the batteries during her first Ice Beam fiasco. _Darn it!_

Whimpering from so many additional pains, "_Aash_!" Dawn cried, still lying on her stomach while one of Ash's elbows unintentionally dug into her back. Thank heavens the boy was not overly heavy, though having almost anyone slam into a small girl's spine was bound hurt, regardless! "Ash, DO SOMETHING!"

Ash gave her an incredulous look Dawn never saw. "What do you expect me to do?" he exclaimed, desperately trying to reach his feet. He never intended to crush Dawn's back, but due to their frozen hands, it seemed impossible for him to move without yanking Dawn's arm and making her scream. Though Dawn nearly pulled Ash's arm out of its socket to retrieve her dead hairdryer, Ash knew her pull was unintentional. He did not believe in "an eye for an eye" and refused to hurt Dawn anymore than necessary. But how else could they escape this awkward predicament?

The best plan Ash could concoct under the circumstances, "We're gonna' have to jump to our feet at the same time!" Once Ash and Dawn gained mobility they could head towards Brock's campfire and easily melt the ice. And speaking of Brock… "Brock! Quit laughing and help us out already, will ya? Bring Chimchar, too!"

Regaining his composure, the brown-haired teen scrambled to his feet, wiped away laughter-induced tears, and did as told. Unfortunately, Ash's brilliant idea of him and Dawn simultaneously leaping to their feet only increased their humiliation, and increased Brock's entertainment. After Ash counted down, "On three, we jump up: ONE...TWO..._THREE_!" the uncoordinated kids were airborne for approximately two seconds – before crashing back to earth. Right back where Ash and Dawn started, awkward positions and all, how could the kids expect poor Brock to maintain composure? It was not Brock's fault that this moment was utterly hysterical to watch!

Chimchar made a speedier response, quickly assessing the best way to utilize his fire to melt Ash and Dawn's ice. The chimp wanted to help his friends, but he did not want to incinerate Ash and Dawn's hands and unintentionally send the kids from the freezer into the frying pan! Either way, Ash and Dawn were in pain, and that was more than enough incentive for Chimchar to react.

Buneary did not want that to happen, either.

Still not thinking as clearly as she should, an impulsive Buneary jumped the moment she saw embers in Chimchar's jaw. She just needed a few extra minutes for Dawn and Ash's handholding to work its magic! No doubt, once the wonders of romance ignited, Ash and Dawn would care less about their frozen fingers…_right_? Buneary just had to bide some more time, which was precisely why the rabbit careened into Chimchar. The bunny's Bounce attack easily sent the monkey a safe distance away from his targets. And as those precious extra seconds ticked, Buneary was certain without a reasonable doubt that sparks would fly between Ash and Dawn.

If only idealism worked in reality.

"_Buneary_!" Dawn barked, popping every single bubble inflating Buneary's naivety. Much to the rabbit's disappointment, Dawn's face was sporting a stern glare. Similarly, Ash's face was looking none too happy, sending both his Chimchar a concerned glance while giving Buneary an unappreciative frown. Gulping soundly, Buneary sweatdropped uncomfortably.

_Uh-oh._

Suddenly, the fluffy rabbit's surroundings became crowded. Brock and several other Pokemon reached the scene, encompassing not just Dawn and Ash but also their mischievously matchmaking culprit. Distracted earlier, Buneary never noticed when _all_ of her group's Pokemon congregated. Piplup was the most noticeably displeased Pokemon, irked by Buneary disastrously stealing the penguin's job of Dawn's bed-head-be-gone. The other Pokemon were not wearing smiles, either, even the usually-jolly Happiny. Though too young to understand the situation, Happiny did not approve of Buneary inexplicably attacking Chimchar, never mind her attacking Ash and Dawn! All the other Pokemon seemed to silently agree with the infant, too.

But right now, Buneary paid no attention to the other Pokemon. All she heeded were _his_ big brown eyes locked onto her, demanding an explanation for why Buneary dared to attack the mouse's precious Ash.

_Pikachu…_ Gulping more soundly, Buneary's ears drooped the longer she felt Pikachu's glare on her. Buneary fantasized about a day when the rodent would no longer be able to take his eyes off her, but not like _this_! She wanted Pikachu to ogle her like Brock ogled ladies, and instead the mouse's eyes were riddled with confusion and a twinge of resentment. Surely this awful moment would not produce any happily ever after, would it?

"Buneary! What's the meaning of this?" Dawn reiterated, her pink boots stomping closer to the cringing rabbit. Apparently during Pikachu's distraction, Ash and Dawn were freed from their ice shackle. Both kids were vigorously rubbing their wet hands, and a recovered Chimchar was riding Ash's heels as the boy joined Dawn. Brock was not far behind, and before long, _everyone_ was surrounding the sweating Buneary. Hands on hips and frown darkening, Dawn knew how to take disciplinary measures when necessary. Buneary had been acting odd all morning, coincidentally alongside all the other oddities that plagued today. Buneary was a playful Pokemon, but after undergoing a second Ice Beam fiasco in one day, Dawn realized Buneary's playfulness was going a bit too far. "Answer me now, Buneary!"

What a mess Buneary made.

As much as Buneary loved and obeyed her master, the bunny's attention remained fixated on Pikachu (more than usual). No matter what reprimands Dawn barked, the coordinator's punishment was miniscule compared to Pikachu's face. He looked so disappointed in Buneary, which was enough to crush her little heart. To be expected, Pikachu never realized Buneary was acting strange all for his sake. How _could_ Pikachu know? The silly rabbit was doing everything wrong! Buneary really did not know what she was doing. Instead of encouraging Pikachu to become closer with her, Buneary was giving him reasons to dislike her! Why did love have to be so darn complicated? Buneary did not consider herself exceptionally greedy. Was she asking too much in seeking the heart of one courageous, handsome, and kind-hearted electric mouse?

Maybe Buneary did not deserve Pikachu.

The rabbit wanted to cry. _Oh Pikachu…_

"Buneary?" Dawn blinked, her voice softening upon noticing Buneary's eyes faintly gloss over. True, Dawn was still upset with Buneary, but more importantly, she was concerned with why her Pokemon had been acting so strangely. More than discipline, Dawn just wanted to understand Buneary. What was Buneary attempting to prove, say, or obtain? One gentle step closer, Dawn eased her face. "Come' on, Buneary, you know you can talk to us."

But Dawn was wrong. Buneary doubted anyone would understand. If Buneary had difficulties fathoming human romance, then humans probably could not fathom Pokemon love. And since Piplup and the other Pokemon teased Buneary's crush on Pikachu, the rabbit had no intentions of seeking her animal friends' so-called help. All they would do was use Buneary's predicament as ammunition for future torment. Truly, the rabbit was on her own.

Besides, right now, Buneary wanted to be alone. Dawn and everyone else's presences were not comforting the disheartened bunny. And Pikachu's stare was _murderous_. He also softened his features once Buneary's demeanor dampened, but Pikachu was still a far cry from happy. For all Buneary knew, she just Ice Beamed her only chance for winning the electric Pokemon's heart. Despite knowing little about "true" love, Buneary was getting a painful lesson in heartache.

So Buneary ran as quickly as her little legs allowed, scampering into the nearest bushes before Dawn and the others could peruse. People and Pokemon alike called back to her, but the floppy-eared bunny hid herself as best as possible. Should she utilize this opportunity to concoct a Plan C, or should Buneary just quit? Giving up on Pikachu's affection seemed so preposterous. She did not want to admit defeat, but at the same time Buneary felt she was fighting a losing battle.

Burying her face into her fluffy fur, Buneary whimpered discreetly.

_What should I do?_

Playing cupid was a tougher job than the naive Buneary ever expected.

Left behind with Dawn, Ash, and the rest of their caravan, Pikachu's perplexed eyes blinked, never leaving the spot where Buneary vanished. Like Dawn, Pikachu was interested in getting to the bottom of this situation, but he was smart enough to realize Buneary was upset and wanted to be alone. But why? Why was Buneary acting so strangely today?

And more so, why did Pikachu get the sinking suspicion that he held some responsibility? Pikachu had no involvement with Buneary's actions. Uncertain why he felt this inexplicit pang of guilt, Pikachu's own ears drooped whilst he bit his lip.

_Buneary…_

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N**: Aaw, Buneary needs a hug (that, and a crash-course in Romance 101). It seems I'm always wreaking havoc amongst the twerps (Ash especially, hehe ^^). Still, I hope this fanfic is amusing readers. Trust me, lots more shenanigans are ahead for Ash and friends!

**~ Important Notice** ~

The least I can do for my faithful readers is give them a friendly heads-up. ^_~

For the sake of the upcoming holiday weeks, I will not be updating this story until after the first of the new year. After all, I'm sure readers have plans to celebrate this wonderful time of the year, so don't waste them! Fear not, this fanfic is _not_ being discontinued whatsoever, and "Cupid Wears Buneary Ears" will resume in January. Until then, please enjoy this beautiful season with your loved ones. ^_^

**_~ From Aiselne to all, happy holidays and New Year! I'll see you in 2011! ~_**


	3. Cupid's Little Helpers

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_

**COMMENTS**: Hello, everyone! Welcome back and happy new year! I hope your holidays were enjoyable. As promised, CWBE is back, kicking off 2011 with the latest episode of our silly rabbit's matchmaking misadventures. ^_^

And to my dear readers, thanks again for your generous reviews, patience, and support! Enjoy!

* * *

**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Three ~ * ~ Cupid's Little Helpers ~ * ~**

Meanwhile, in another set of bushes near Ash and friends' camp...

"Man oh man, where's a video camera when ya need one?" Meowth laughed, one paw slapping his knee after enjoying Ash and Dawn's embarrassing Ice Beam escapade. The cat was not the only spy to get a kick out of the twerp and twerpette's show, either. Meowth's two cohorts were also snickering up a storm. Oh, the blackmail Team Rocket could have profited from, had they captured the kids' little gem on tape! "If a picture is woirth thousands of woirds, videotapes have ta be woirth thousands of _dollars_!"

"Dream on," Jessie muttered amidst simmering sniggers, mindful not to attract unwanted attention. Heavens knew the twerps were too half-witted to find their ways out of forests, towns, and paper bags, but the redhead was not willing to take chances. After all, while the brats concerned themselves with the Ice Beam brigade, Pikachu was forgotten. "Besides, Pikachu's worth _much_ more money. While those dippy twerps are busy thawing their fingers, we'll swoop in and snatch Pikachu!"

"I like the sound of that, Jess!" James gushed, his energetic nod mimicked by Mime Jr. atop his shoulder.

Unfortunately, Meowth was less enthusiastic about Jessie's plan. Perhaps it was because Pokemon were more observant than humans, or perhaps it was because Meowth was less scatterbrained than his partners (Meowth strongly believed the latter). Either way, the feline never failed to notice the _other_ Pokemon across the twerps' campsite. Since greediness rarely paid off for the unlucky Rockets, Meowth had no intentions of stealing all the kids' Pokemon. However, although he had faith that he, Jessie, and James could easily sneak past the twerps, the conniving cat was less certain the Rockets could slip past the other Pokemon. After all, Pokemon were much more observant, and even more intelligent, than people.

"Hate ta boirst ya bubbles, but how do yous expect ta get past all the otha' Pokemon?" the killjoy cat noted matter-of-factly, deflating Jessie and James' optimism in two seconds. Granted, Meowth wanted to steal Pikachu just as much as his teammates. But after a zillion blast-offs, the feline knew his crew needed to try a slightly different tact at Pikachu-poaching. "All we need is for one of dere Pokemon seein' or smellin' us nearby and we'll be blastin' off all ova again!"

Smiles sagging into frowns, Jessie and James exchanged glances. Naturally stubborn, Jessie was much too proud to admit when she was wrong, thus James took the honors. Silently reading his partner's mind, the violet-haired man absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. "I hate to admit it, but Meowth's right. We can't afford to act reckless, and we stand a better chance planning our attack wisely."

"No kidding, James," grumbled Jessie, a tad insulted to see her partners had limited confidence in her forethought. True, very few of her self-proclaimed brilliant plans succeeded. Still, whether her schemes sailed or sunk, Jessie did plan them out, though perhaps some schemes were better conspired than others. That never meant the redhead was willing to admit her shortcomings, though. Pointing fingers between James' and Meowth's blinking eyes, Jessie countered their misgivings. "If my plan's 'reckless,' then put your money where your mouths are and tell me _your_ brilliant ideas, Einsteins."

Then came James' turn to swap glances with Meowth. Neither male was thrilled to butt heads with haughty Jessie. The proud woman defended her ego like a ferocious mother Ursaring protecting her Teddiursa cub. Realizing a blast-off might be gentler than dealing with an angry Jessie, James and Meowth rapidly attempted to find a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Fortunately, their salvation hopped a few feet away.

Blue eyes averting, the sharp Meowth was first to recognize the puffy brown-tan rabbit huddled in a bush seven feet away. The spying cat noticed how Buneary had been acting oddly this morning, even causing the aforementioned Ice Beam incident. Now the troublesome bunny was cowering like a child in time-out. A weird Pokemon like Buneary certainly suited the weird twerps. Yet, Meowth would have lied if he claimed he was not a little curious about Buneary's inexplicit isolation. For all the twerps' annoyances, the kids and their Pokemon were very close, physically and emotionally. After trailing the twerps for so long, Team Rocket knew if one of the kids or Pokemon went rogue, something was wrong.

…Not that Meowth gave a Wormadam about the brats' stupid problems. A crooked smile tugged the cat's lips upon realizing Buneary was too far out of sight for the twerps or other Pokemon to notice. The bunny seemed to be purposefully isolating herself, which worked very nicely in the Team Rocket trio's favor. Gears spinning in Meowth's mind, he more than happily rebuked Jessie's "Einstein" challenge.

"Getta' load of dis," Meowth whispered, pointing a finger for his less observant cronies to follow. Once three pairs of Rocket eyes fell upon the hidden Buneary, three Rocket grins followed. "Dis' could be a golden oppa'tunity for us!"

His leader's own mind-gears were already rotating as Jessie smirked wildly. For once, Meowth's scheme was almost better than Jessie's ("almost" being the key word). "Now there's an idea," she sneered, licking red lips and balling a determined fist. "We snatch Buneary and use it as blackmail for Pikachu!"

James liked the sound of this plan, too, although… "You mean blackmail Pikachu, _itself_, or blackmail the twerps into _giving _us Pikachu in exchange for Buneary?"

Jessie's aforementioned fist immediately slugged her idiot partner's shoulder, almost knocking Mime Jr. in the process.

"Either way works, James!" she hissed, although Jessie was curious as to how the heck James planned to blackmail a dumb yellow rat. Whatever the case, Jessie already had another illustrious scheme prepped and raring to be put into action. "Alright, here's the plan: we run back to the balloon and get two nets. We'll scoop Buneary in one, and after blackmailing, we'll put Pikachu in the other." Stifling a wicked laugh, Jessie's smile darkened nefariously. "Hehehe, maybe if we play our cards right, we'll get _two_ Pokemon for the price of one!"

Although nursing his bruise, James could not contain his own glee. "Oooh! The boss would flip in his seat if we sent him Pikachu plus a bonus Pokemon!"

Meowth snorted a laugh. "Da' boss would flip in his seat if we sent him _any_ Pokemon, period."

"Woooobbuffet!" popped out the saluting blue blob.

After grumbling and recalling her blue headache to its Pokeball, Jessie barked at the know-it-all cat. "Just shut your big Meowth and let's get moving! Buneary and Pikachu don't steal themselves."

Seconds before complying with the temperamental woman's request, Meowth noticed a different mind-gear activate. _"Buneary and Pikachu."_ As if Jessie's innocent phrase was the password to open a gate, another genius idea flooded Meowth's thoughts.

_Buneary an' Pikachu_… Adding to his observational bravado, Meowth was not blind to the little sparks between the rabbit and mouse. It was drop-dead obvious Buneary harbored a head-over-heels crush on Pikachu. Too bad the electric rat took after his trainer in the cluelessness department. Of course, Meowth understood Pokemon romance via his imperfect past with Meowsie. Love drove Meowth to do the near-impossible and learn human posture and language. Obviously, infatuation made people and Pokemon do crazy things all for the sakes of their beloveds. Very romantic…

…And very _useful_.

Meowth did not consider himself a "bad guy" for nothing. If he had any pride as a notorious Team Rocket agent, then the cat had no qualms about taking full advantage of love for his personal gain. Besides, Meowth was in love with a big fat promotion, and he was desperate enough to climb mountains if it meant giving Giovanni's Persian the boot.

"Jess, Jim…hold on a sec'," interrupted Meowth, much to James' curiosity and Jessie's agitation. But before any questions or tirades transpired, the sly feline flashed a cheeky grin. "Yous stay here. I've got an even easia' an' even _beta_' idea!" A stealthy thief, Meowth masterfully crawled away from Jessie and James' stakeout, silently creeping towards his floppy-eared quarry.

* * *

"I wonder where Buneary went," Dawn thought aloud. An hour had passed since Buneary's episode, and since then normalcy gradually returned to the campsite. By one-thirty P.M., Dawn found herself sitting at the picnic table as Brock finally served the kids' lunch. Since this morning's mess yielded a cheap breakfast, the twerps delightedly devoured a towering plate of fresh turkey sandwiches. Ash was already on his third sandwich, Brock was nearing his second, while Dawn was still on her first.

No matter how persistently her belly growled, Dawn only pecked her sandwich, tearing off coin-sized bits between her thumb and index finger. Even if her stomach was fixated on sustenance, Dawn's brain was fixated on her enigmatic Buneary. Blue eyes were magnetized to the bushes where she last saw her rabbit, and Dawn could not stop thinking about how sad Buneary appeared before running away. The girl wanted to chase after her Pokemon, yet the responsible trainer inside Dawn also believed her troublesome Buneary needed a time-out after today's mischief.

"I'm sure Buneary's fine, Dawn," the coordinator heard Brock reassure, returning Dawn's attention to the table. Big brother Brock always knew how to settle her anxieties and bring order from chaos, which Dawn greatly appreciated. Still, Buneary was like one of Dawn's children, and mothers can never help but worry.

Dawn's worrisome behavior reminding him of Delia, Ash swallowed a mouthful before offering a smile. "Brock's right, Dawn. Buneary's fine! She's a strong Pokemon," and Ash spoke from experience after getting up-close and personal with the bunny's impressive Ice Beam. "I'm sure she'll come back soon, and hey, we can always go look for her if she's not back by sunset." And after happily indulging in another big bite of Brock's delicious turkey sandwich, Ash winked confidently. "No need to worry, right?"

It was not the first time along their journey that Ash borrowed Dawn's tagline. But only this time did Dawn absorb his reiterated words. She could not explain it, but something about Ash's last line piqued her curiosity. Why _did_ he borrow her infamous tagline? Granted, "no need to worry" was a great phrase, if Dawn did say so herself. Maybe she was over-thinking. Her mind was bound to be frazzled after everything that transpired today: Buneary's antics, Dawn accidentally holding Ash's hand…

Adding to Dawn's list of today's mysteries, she felt her face warm by a fraction. Ash's words were very sweet. Plus, he looked rather boyish winking at Dawn in between stuffing his cheeks like a chipmunk. He certainly was not the most refined of guys, but Ash knew how to raise his friends' spirits. His heart was always in the right place.

Glancing at her palm where she and Ash previously met, a small smile pulled Dawn's lips. "Yeah. You're right, Ash."

* * *

Buneary was beginning to seriously doubt her matchmaking scheme held any potential for success. Apparently, human romances were much more complicated than Pokemon. The bunny went gaga for Pikachu after holding the mouse's hand, yet it seemed Ash and Dawn did not feel the same sparks. Of course, perhaps having the said hands frozen in a block of ice did complicate matters. Maybe. Still, if one asked Buneary, she would happily remain frozen in ice if it meant holding Pikachu's paw.

Never in a million years did Buneary imagine her scheme to be this difficult to execute. Brock practically fell in love with every woman within a thirty mile radius, so why were Dawn and Ash so darn difficult? Were the kids too young for love? Buneary was much younger than Ash and Dawn, so the rabbit doubted age had anything to do with romance.

Or…did Ash and Dawn just not like each other?

No, that could not be true! Why would Ash and Dawn travel together all over Sinnoh if they disliked each other? Buneary did not forget last night's mention of a certain "Misty," either. However, if Ash liked this Misty character so much, how come he no longer traveled with her? Dawn was the only girl whom Buneary ever saw Ash travel alongside. Obviously, Ash could not like that Misty girl as much as he thought or claimed, so Misty was no concern. That "Kenny" boy _never_ traveled with Dawn, so he was out of the picture, too. There had to be some angle Buneary was overlooking, some small detail she needed in order to turn Ash and Dawn into a match made in heaven.

Earnestly, Buneary did not want to give up on Pikachu. But she clearly could not continue matchmaking Ash and Dawn via Buneary's current schemes. The rabbit was trying to create love in all the wrong places. However, if Buneary refused to resign to defeat, then she would have to resign to another fate:

Buneary needed to find help.

"Well, well…what do we have here? Long time no see, Buneary! Didja' miss Meowth?"

Fortunately, help found Buneary.

* * *

Much like Dawn, Pikachu had been musing over Buneary's state. To be expected, some Pokemon made digs about Buneary's behavior being Pikachu-related. Why did Sudowoodo keep singing about Pikachu and Buneary sitting in a tree? Currently, Buneary was away and Pikachu was sitting on a tree stump, so Sudowoodo's song sounded pretty nonsensical. Ambipom even made a jokey suggestion that Pikachu should run after Buneary like a knight racing to his princess! Were the other Pokemon assuming there was something romantic between Pikachu and Buneary? _Where would they get that idea?_

Folding his arms and cocking his head, Pikachu sat alone with his thoughts. The other Pokemon's jokes were not helping the situation. Pikachu was worried about Buneary. Never before had he seen her act so oddly. He knew she tended to act sheepishly, but today's behavior was just downright bizarre.

_Boy, girls are strange_, Pikachu admitted, stealing a glance to where Pikapi and his friends sat at the picnic table. The Electric Type dearly loved Pikapi, but asking Ash about girls would be no different than seeking advice from a brick wall. Pikachu knew better than to ignite Brock and Dawn's addictions to romance, too, and the other Pokemon were being no help. Obviously, Pikachu would have to figure out Buneary on his own. She was his friend, after all.

_Friend_…

Yes, Buneary was a friend, and nothing more…right?

Everyone's romance-banter must have sparked Pikachu's second-guessing. But until now, he never really thought of Buneary as anything more than a friend. That did not mean Pikachu disliked Buneary, of course. She was very cute and sweet, although Pikachu wished Buneary would learn the concept of giving a mouse his personal space. The rabbit tended to be clingy from time to time. True, Pikachu loved Pikapi's terms of affection, but Buneary's affection was a little different. He could not describe it, but whenever Buneary got close to Pikachu, the rodent sensed something deeper.

Like his trainer, Pikachu was not interested in kissy-kissy mush. Yet, this did not mean Pikachu completely ignored love. The mouse never doubted the bond between him and his beloved Pikapi. Then again, Pikachu never _had_ to think about his relationship with Ash, because it was a bond that existed as naturally as two brothers. Pikachu knew he loved Pikapi, but was their attachment the same caliber of love as the kissy-kissy genre? Probably not.

Getting himself more confused than ever, Pikachu exhaled loudly.

_Girls are strange. Love is stranger._

* * *

"What's taking that darn cat so long?" complained Jessie, still crouched in a bush and anxiously shifting her weight on aching knees. She and James had yet to understand how Meowth planned to steal Buneary without a net, and Jessie's short patience was weaning. It had been a good five minutes since Meowth slithered away towards Buneary. Time was lessening, and Jessie did not want to lose another opportunity to blindside the twerps.

Of what James could see by squinting his green eyes between leaves, "Looks like Meowth's just standing there talking with Buneary." Exchanging a perplexed glance with Mime Jr., James shrugged indifferently. "Don't ask me what he's up to, though."

"Whatever he's up to, it's taking too much time!" Jessie fumed, barely maintaining a low-volume voice. "The twerps have time to pack up and leave before Meowth gets his act together." Meowth may have been a strategist, but he was not a speedy strategist. Perhaps Jessie was too brash, but Meowth was too slow. The twerps had already spent last night in the forest campsite, and they were bound to be departing in the near future. Heavens knew the twerp was over-eager to reach the next town gym, and the twerpette was equally compulsive about her contests. Those wandering brats rarely remained stationary for extended periods of time.

Furthermore, Jessie was not a paragon of patience. Probably more over-eager than the three twerps combined, Jessie could not wait any longer. Grumbling to herself, the woman began crawling through the bushes. James and Mime Jr. begrudgingly followed her to Meowth's location, much to Buneary's surprise.

"Bun!" Immediately, the rabbit engaged in a defensive stance, knowing all too well that Jessie and James were trouble.

"At ease, sol'jar!" Meowth interrupted, smart enough not to mess around with Buneary's Ice Beam. Raising both paws between Buneary and Jessie and James, the cat maintained peace and patted Buneary's tense shoulder. "I told ya, Buneary! We ain't here ta' fight. We're here ta' help ya'!"

"Huh?" Jessie and James gaped simultaneously, blinking and eyeing their feline.

The notorious Meowth smiled overly-innocently. "Dat's right. See, Buneary here's down in da' dumps and havin' trouble gettin' a coirtain Pikachu's attention." Winking at his human cohorts, Meowth's grin widened. "If yous two know what I mean, hehe."

It took a moment for their brains to switch on, but Jessie and James eventually began understanding Meowth. They were still unsure what scheme he cooked up, but Jessie and James certainly knew what Meowth meant by Buneary wanting Pikachu's "attention." Romance was second nature to the human Rockets. Besides, long before today, the thieves already noticed the bunny's infatuation with Pikachu. She blushed around him, she enjoyed cuddling…Buneary was not exactly subtle. A person or Pokemon would have to be blind not to realize Buneary was desperately crushing Pikachu.

"Is that so…" Jessie trailed, her red lips curling higher as a new scheme formulated inside her skillful mind. Clapping gloved hands together, the redhead wore her own overly-friendly smile for Buneary's sake. "Well then, Buneary, today's your lucky day!" she gushed, nudging James' arm as cue for him to play along. "It just so happens that we're top-notch professionals in the field of love!"

"That's right!" James reassured with an eager nod, Mime Jr. mimicking his every gesture. Whipping out a red rose, the violet-haired man smiled alluringly. "A rose by any other name is just as sweet, and when cupid's arrow strikes our work is complete!"

"Mime! Mime, Mime!" gushed Mime Jr.

"Bun?" Buneary tilted her head, still skittish in wake of Team Rocket. She knew the trio was rarely up to anything good. Even when Meowth first approached her, Buneary was wary. However, the cat seemed pretty sympathetic towards her romance plight. He spoke of a lost love called Meowsie and how he understood the pain of unrequited love. Naturally, it was easier for Buneary to trust a fellow Pokemon, though that did not mean she _fully_ trusted Meowth. Meowth, Jessie, and James were still crooks. Even so, there were a few occasions in the past when Team Rocket helped the twerps. Were the so-called crooks truly bad people? Buneary was not certain.

Besides, Buneary needed help. She could not successfully match-make with her current track record. It was not an option for Buneary to seek human or Pokemon friends, either, so a third party was the next alternative. The rabbit was not thrilled to know her third party was Team Rocket, but perhaps desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Don't worry, Buneary," Jessie winked while giving Buneary a thumbs-up. "With us on your side there's no way Pikachu will reject you!"

"Yeah, well, Pikachu's only half da' battle, Jess," Meowth intervened, causing his teammates to blink in curiosity all over again. Waving an index finger, the cat enlightened his cupid-cohorts to the second half of Buneary's dilemma. "Our smart little Buneary got da' great idea to pair da' twoirp and twoirpette ta'getha. That way, once dere' trainers fall in love, Buneary an' Pikachu will fall in love, too!"

Despite their self-proclaimed romanticism, even Jessie and James silently admitted that Buneary's scheme was far-fetched. Then again, Pikachu was as clueless as the twerp, so conventional methods of romance would not work on the yellow rat. It appeared that Buneary was using a more indirect method of obtaining Pikachu. The mouse obviously missed the bunny's more direct blushes and public displays of affection. Perhaps Buneary's plan held some validity, but the Rockets still believed she was taking the road less traveled.

All the same, Meowth was not about to tell Buneary, "Hey! Your plan stinks!" He just won Buneary's trust, and he was not about to stupidly offend her. So what if Buneary's plan blew up in her face? All Meowth intended was for her to dumbly walk into Jessie and James' hands. The Team Rocket trio would briefly play along with her twerp/twerpette matchmaking. Once Buneary became comfortably off-guard, then would come her snatching and the inevitable Pikachu blackmail! Until then, Meowth decided he and his partners should have a little fun with Buneary and her targets. As far as he was concerned, whoever believed 'thou shall not mix work with pleasure' was plain foolish.

"Don't yous worry, Buneary! We're gonna' help ya pair dose' twoirps and win Pikachu's heart!" Meowth punched a fist into the air, before turning to his crew. "Jess! Jim! What are we waiting for? Love is in da' air!"

As much as James relished this plan, he could not help but rub his chin for a second. "But isn't that an oxymoron? We're helping Buneary win affections of the Pikachu we plan on snatching–_eeeeeow_!"

After ramming her elbow into his gut, Jessie hissed, "_Zip it_, James!"

Mindful not to allow Buneary to catch wind of Team Rocket's deception, Meowth rapidly returned to the topic at hand. Clearing his throat, the cat pasted on another cheery face. "How's about dis' idea? Let's do what we did with those Nidoran back in da' Orange Islands! Or like dat' time with Tropius and Maganium! We'll pair em' and den' take em' far away to live happily eva' afta!" To be expected, Meowth neglected to tell Buneary that both Nidoran and Tropius/Maganium schemes involved Team Rocket stealing the couples and sending them to Giovanni. Buneary did not necessarily have to know those small details.

Jessie, on the other hand, believed she had a much better idea. After all, neither Nidoran nor Tropius/Maganium poaching proved successful. Priding herself as a class-A romantic, this was the perfect opportunity for Jessie to do what she did best. _Ah, one of my MANY hidden talents!_ Smiling proudly, the red-haired woman folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh please, Meowth!" Jessie pooh-poohed Meowth's suggestion. "If we were pairing Pikachu and Buneary, those Pokemon ideas might work. But you can't really expect us to pair the twerp and twerpette in the same way. It's _human_ romance that Buneary needs assistance, which happens to be our specialty!" Outside theft, lofty Jessie always believed her calling in life was love!

"First, we're gonna' do the classic 'love letter' test," Jessie explained, causing Buneary to blink with interest. At least the romance-naive rabbit was working with more 'experienced' players, now. "We'll write two love letters, one from each twerp, and have them think the other wrote it."

"Hey, dat' ain't a bad idea, Jess," Meowth grinned. _Poetic justice!_ The cat loved schemes where his team caused trouble under the guise of kindness. Thank goodness the twerps and twerp Pokemon were denser than lead. "Okay den; who's gotta' pen and papah?"

"I do!" James declared as he retrieved a small pad and pencil from his back pocket. Jessie greedily snatched the utensils, feeling her romantic juices flowing with excitement. She was a romantic, and whether this was for the twerps or not, Jessie was enjoying herself.

_Let's see...who's letter should I start first?_ Jessie pondered. Being a woman, Jessie decided to write to the twerpette, knowing precisely what a girl wanted to read in her fantasy love letter. Ever since she could remember, Jessie imagined herself getting a love letter from a special man. The letter would be written in the finest calligraphy, on perfumed paper, and embellished with finest words vocabulary could offer. It never ceased to estrange Jessie how a woman as awe-inspiring and gorgeous as _her_ never received one love letter! _Men in this day and age must be morons!_

At any rate, Jessie had a promotion at stake, so she would milk her romantic juices for all they were worth. "'To my dearest'..." she started, blinking for a moment as her train of thought was quickly interrupted by one small problem.

"Uh..." Jessie paused, impishly turning to her partners. "...What's the Sinnoh-twerpette's name again?"

James, Meowth, and Mime Jr. fell comically, accompanied by a Wobbuffet chime. Having spent so much time calling the kids "twerps," real names were easy to forget. Besides, the brats were _twerps_, and Jessie saw no reason to treat the kids like _people_.

"It's 'Donna' you idiot!" Meowth exclaimed incredulously, causing Jessie to scribble the girl's name.

James blinked, scratching his head for a second. "Wait, that doesn't sound right."

"Bun! _Buneary_!" Buneary agreed, correcting Meowth's mistake in her own language. True, she was grateful for Team Rocket's seemingly-honest help. However, Buneary was also beginning to wonder what kind of a mistake she made when agreeing to work with these stooges.

"Oh, right..." Meowth sweatdropped sheepishly. "Hehe...Buneary says the goirl's name is _Dawn_, not Donn-a."

"And _who_'s the idiot?" Jessie grumbled under her breath, tearing out the paper on which she miswrote Donna's name. Crumpling the paper into a ball, Jessie happily chucked it at Meowth's face before restarting her letter.

"'To my dearest Dawn'…" she began, writing and grinning with romantic pleasure as her feminine side took control. "'Words alone cannot describe the intensity of my love for you. Your hair is as beautiful as night, and your eyes glisten like sapphires'," _though she's NOWHERE NEAR as pretty as me, _Jessie knew without a doubt. "'Your beauty is unsurpassed by goddesses...!"

"Uh...Jess..." James interrupted, tapping her shoulder to bring Jessie back down to earth. He loved romance as much as his partner, maybe more. However, "This just in; Shakespeare isn't writing this. The letter's supposed to be from the _twerp_, remember?"

Jessie's enthusiasm burst like a popped balloon. "Oh _greaaat_," she droned, once again scrapping another eloquently-written love letter. Suddenly, writing Dawn's letter did not appear to be as easy as Jessie first figured. Alas, James did not lie. There was no point in wasting silver-tongued words and beautiful cursive on a letter that was meant to be the idiot twerp's handiwork! _The brat's IQ can't be much higher than a Psyduck, and his penmanship probably resembles Jigglypuff's scribbles!_ "Urgh! How degrading it is that I must lower my high standards to _his _level!"

"Hey, ya wanna' help Buneary or not?" Meowth interrogated, silently reminding Jessie to suck it up. A Pikachu-promotion was on the line, and the Team Rocket trio had to do whatever it took to reach their goal. Stooping to the twerp's level was a small sacrifice for a greater prize.

Swallowing her pride, Jessie began her third attempt at the twerpette's letter, attempting to think and write like the pea-brained twerp. Along with romance, Jessie did pride herself in being a superb actress, so now was as good a time as any to prove herself. Besides, how difficult could it be to play the part of a dimwit?

"'Dear Dawn'…" Jessie started unenthusiastically, her voice a polar change from the romantic eagerness in her first two letters. She considered herself and James to be poetic geniuses. But now, she had to write a letter meant to be passed-off as a dense ten-year-old's writing. What could someone of Jessie's standards possibly write that would sound believable from a stupid kid?

"'I-think-your-neat. You-are-kool. You-are-pretty'…" Jessie spelt out lazily, purposely printing sloppily, simplifying the vocabulary, and adding various spelling errors. She was embarrassed to author such junk, but James and Meowth gave her approving nods. At least Jessie's twerp-writing was on the right track, but really, _What a waste of my talents! _

But unlike Jessie, Buneary did not consider this moment to be wasted. Although torn between trusting and distrusting Team Rocket, the rabbit did believe one fact. She almost renounced matchmaking, but now…

_…This might actually work!_

Buneary could only hope.

**To Be Continued… **

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**A/N**: Wehehe. I'm such a meanie to Ash. ^^ But seriously; there's no way that kid's Shakespeare! Plenty more shenanigans are ahead in this story, especially now that Buneary's collaborated with Team Rocket's (self-proclaimed) brilliance. Until next time, thanks for reading! I always appreciate reviews, too.


	4. Not Quite Love Confessions

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_, or the song "Calling Dr. Love" performed by KISS.

**COMMENTS**: So now, a raise of hands: who thinks Buneary's team-up with Team Rocket will work? *crickets chirp* Who thinks there will actually be Pearlshipping in this story? *uncertain silence* Who thinks Aiselne should shut up so viewers can read Ch.4 and find out for themselves? *everybody raises hands vociferously*

Okay, okay! Onto Ch.4!

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* * *

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**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Four ~ * ~ (Not Quite) Love Confessions ~ * ~**

"... 'You are kool. You are pretty. Your very nice. You are confidint. You are fun to be with. Your a good coordinater. You have nice hare. You have nice Pokemon. You are pretty'..."

One navy eyebrow rose when Dawn paused from reading aloud. Within the privacy of her tent, the coordinator required a double-take. It seemed all Dawn did was double-take today's events.

Yet, the random letter she found conveniently atop her sleeping bag's pillow was the pièce de résistance. Being the owner and most frequent user of the tent, Dawn was well aware that the envelope was not present earlier. Wherever it came from, and however it reached her tent, Dawn did not know. Furthermore, the letter's pink envelope was sealed with a classic shiny red heart sticker. Any self-respecting soap opera fan like Dawn knew "what" she was reading.

_A…a love letter?_ _I got a love letter?_ That never meant she had to believe this moment to be true, though.

The letter was addressed to her, so the girl nervously read. As dumbstruck as she felt, Dawn somehow noticed the letter's reiteration of the compliment, "You are pretty." _The person already said that_. Nevertheless, she shrugged and decided to consider the repetition as a reinforced compliment. "'Your an awesome girl. I really like you. Do you like me? Meet me at the Kelpsy grove by seven o'clock and let me no.'"

Dawn blinked again, translating the poorly-written message. She was unsure if she was more shocked by the fact that she just read the letter's first sentence that contained _more _than five words...

...Or the fact that the last line read, "'Yours truly'..."

She _had _to do a double-take. "..._'Ash'_?"

The letter slipped out of Dawn's fingers a second later, floating downward to rest atop her lap. All the while, her blue eyes remained fixated on the message, glued to the name at the bottom of the sheet. Dawn could not believe what she was reading.

_Oh my word_... Dawn's mind raced as her head spun thanks to the overwhelming letter. _No…'LOVE' letter!_ The most frequent type of letters Dawn received were e-mails from Johanna sending maternal love to her traveling daughter. Sometimes Professor Rowan and a few coordinator friends wrote to Dawn, but safe to say, Dawn was not accustomed to getting love letters. Even Kenny never wrote her a love letter…_Er, not that I'd ever WANT a love letter from an immature guy like him, of course. Haha! I'd prefer a love letter written by somebody with a tad more intellect._

Well, Ash Ketchum may not be a prime example of brilliance, but… _Waitasecond! ASH wrote me this letter!_ Her eyes bugged and jaw dropping, Dawn blinked incessantly to ensure her vision worked properly. But no matter how many times she blinked, the chicken-scratched signature remained consistent.

_Yours truly,_

_Ash._

Dawn swallowed, feeling the lump plummet to her stomach. All of a sudden, Buneary's crazy Ice Beams seemed very insignificant compared to the bomb dropped onto the coordinator's pillow. But whether Dawn believed it or not, Ash had wrote this letter to her…and more specifically, he confessed his feelings to her!

_Ash likes me?_

Almost every girl dreams of the day she would receive her first love letter. However, before Dawn could act blushy, gushy, and faint with glee, reality smacked her upside the head.

_Ash likes…me? ME?_

_No, that can't be right_, Dawn hated to admit, trying to piece together this nonsensical puzzle. After all, _Ash likes Misty…doesn't he?_ _Last night he was all embarrassed and blushing when Brock and I teased him about liking Misty. Why would Ash act that way about Misty...if he really likes ME? It doesn't make sense!_

Then again, most of today's fiascos were a far cry from making sense. Still, Dawn was 99% positive that Ash harbored feelings for Misty. The navy-haired romantic prided herself in thinking she could read the signs of a person in love. Ash Ketchum's middle name certainly was not "discreet," so Dawn doubted Ash could fool her. Surely Ash crushed Misty.

However, if such were the case, then Dawn could only wonder, _What's the deal with this love letter?_ It was not April Fool's Day, so Dawn doubted this was a gag. In the event the letter was indeed a joke, Dawn did not find it very funny. Preschool Leona once sent Dee-Dee a fake love letter, supposedly from Kenny, and Dawn was very upset to learn it was a joke. _Though, I don't know 'why' I was so upset_, Dawn recalled with a shrug. _As if I'd ever want a REAL love letter from Kenny!_ But the bottom line was that fake love letters were downright cruel, and more importantly, Ash was not the type of person to pull such a gag. Sure, the boy was mischievous, but Ash was not mean. Sending fake love letters was a sick idea people like Team Rocket would try, not Ash Ketchum.

_But…if Ash does like Misty…and this letter is NOT a joke, then…_

_…Then…aaargh! I don't understand this at all!_

Dawn was getting frustrated. Was it possible that Ash liked Misty _and_ Dawn? Considering the boy's less-than-impressive romance-résumé, it was highly doubtful that Ash could handle one girlfriend, never mind multiple girlfriends! He was not that type of guy, anyway. It also seemed too far-fetched to believe Ash wrote this letter to offset last night's Misty-torment, to somehow "prove" that he did not like the redhead after all. Ash was not that conniving, nor did he strike Dawn as bold enough to write a love letter in the first place. Surely if Ash liked Dawn, he would act as sheepish as he behaved last night by the campfire…right?

On the other hand, Ash _did_ deny feelings for Misty…

_"Hehe, you do like her, don't you, Ash?"_

_"Yeah riiight, Dawn! It's not like that, trust me."_

…But Ash was just avoiding the topic, poorly attempting to hide his feelings.

…_Right_?

Dawn's debate was making zero leeway, just intensifying her newfound headache. Certainly, there had to be a logical explanation for this love letter! However, both sides of the equation failed to balance. Obviously, one of two scenarios was a lie: either Ash lied about his feelings for Misty, or he lied about his feelings for Dawn. Him liking both girls was unlikely, though Dawn supposed there might be a possibility that Ash harbored feelings for _neither_ girl, too. But Ash was definitely not the type of boy to play-on girls, so Dawn figured he must crush one of the two female candidates. Misty or Dawn; the challenge was to unearth which girl Ash Ketchum truly fancied.

_And I call myself a romantic_, Dawn moped, running a hand through navy bangs. The more she tried to solve this puzzle, the more confused she became. Soap operas and chick flicks always muddled romance, but Dawn assumed the writers over-complicated matters for the sake of juicy drama. She hardly expected real-life romance to be so painstakingly head-scratching! Never before did Dawn consider Ash enigmatic, either. The boy wore his heart on his sleeve! No doubt, if Ash liked Dawn, Dawn would have noticed by now…right?

_"People express their love in unique ways,"_ thus spoke Dawn.

Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself. Yes, she knew Ash very well, but it was true that Dawn had not known Ash for as long as Brock and other people. Was it premature of Dawn to claim she knew Ash well enough to know _exactly_ how he handled romance? After all, Ash's behavior during the Misty-teasing unveiled sides of the boy Dawn had never seen before. Who was Dawn to call herself an Ash-expert?

_But even if_… pondered Dawn, _Hypothetically, if Ash's behavior from last night were just some cover-up, would Brock go along with it, too?_ After all, Brock seemed pretty convinced that Ash liked Misty. But Brock and Ash were like brothers, and brothers underwent cooperative pranks to fool parents and sisters. Dawn knew Ash and Brock considered her a sister figure, just like the boys dubbed each other brother figures. Brothers helped each other, too, and if Ash had trouble with relationships, Brock would eagerly assist. But would Brock really conspire with Ash just to fool Dawn?

_Maybe they would conspire…that is, if Ash really liked me. _

It did seem unrealistic and uncharacteristic for Ash and Brock to undergo elaborate measures to keep secrets from Dawn. The boys were trustworthy. But better than anyone, Dawn knew people do weird things for the sake of love, and for the sake of _hiding_ love. Ling-winded procrastination and secrecy was never out of the question for Dee-Dee…

Biting her lip, Dawn sighed. She lost count of the ways she avoided Leona's crazy "Dawn likes Kenny" accusations. Once, Dawn asked Johanna to intentionally gossip to Leona's mother about some "'other boy' Dawn likes," just to throw Leona off the trail. When that plan failed, Dawn tried whatever means necessary to disprove the Kenny-crush. She sat next to other boys on the school bus, chose other boys as her partners in gym class; generally avoided Kenny like a plague. Dawn's scheme nearly worked, too. Alas, her heartstrings were yanked every time she saw Kenny's disappointed face upon realizing Dee-Dee wanted nothing to do with him. Regardless of Leona's jokes, Dawn refused to jeopardize her relationship with Kenny…that is, her _friendship_-relationship with Kenny, of course! Really!

Dawn sighed again, longer and deeper.

Who was she kidding?

Not able to throw stones, Dawn reconsidered Ash's manners from the past twelve hours. _Was_ it so hard to believe that Ash's behavior last night might be a diversion? For Ash to pretend he liked Misty was no different than Dawn pretending she liked other boys aside Kenny. Dawn always attempted to throw Leona off her trail, and Ash could be doing the same to Dawn. Brock did claim that the confession of one's feelings is the most challenging hurdle to overcome.

_Maybe Ash was having such a hard time admitting his feelings for me...that he pretended to like another girl instead._ Come to think of it, regardless of the Misty topic, Ash was acting embarrassed..._in front_ of Dawn. Maybe he was not blushing because of Misty, but because of _Dawn_! _After all, Ash never did come out and say he ACTUALLY LIKES Misty._

_Yet_, Dawn's eyes widened upon peering down at the letter on her lap. _Ash was very open about his feelings in this love letter._

Brock did say he wanted to help Ash prepare for admitting his feelings. If Misty was just a cover-up, then maybe Brock intended to help Ash prepare to confess his feelings to Dawn! The love letter was the end result. Although Ash's means of confessing to Dawn were odd and outrageous, this would not be the first (or last) time Ash Ketchum did something butt-backwards. Thus, the Misty cover-up was the only halfway-feasible explanation for Dawn's love letter. Given the choice between Ash pulling a cruel joke on Dawn, and Ash taking the long-road to romance, Dawn had to believe the latter.

The more she thought about it, the more her head spun, and more pieces warped into place.

_Maybe Ash does like me._

Last night could have been a turning point, one that brought Ash out of his shell. He needed a push to confess his feelings, which would explain why Dawn got his letter. _All he needed was a little incentive. _She could not help but smile sweetly, recalling how Ash behaved last night. Dawn never had a boy blush like that for her, not even Kenny. And she still believed Ash looked sweet when he blushed, _And it was all for me._

_Ash likes me!_

However, before she could venture into fantasyland, Dawn did a reality check, grabbing the letter for scrutinizing. One thing was for sure, sweetness or not, Ash could not write to save his life! His handwriting was sloppy and barely readable, though Dawn knew many boys best wrote in chicken scratch. Brock's penmanship was better, but he was far from a calligrapher, and Kenny's writing was a cross between Brock's and Ash's. Plus, Ash's spelling and grammar were atrocious! Apparently, Ash Ketchum was not the next William Shakespeare.

_Still_… Dawn had to admit, rereading Ash's poorly-written love letter. _Shakespeare or not, Ash writes with his heart_. That mattered most to Dawn. Plain and simple, Ash liked Dawn, and he also liked many aspects about her. Simplicity can be just as effective as a thousand eloquent words.

Elementary writing and lousy handwriting aside, Dawn had to admit Ash's letter was undeniably sweet. _I never knew he felt this way about me_, she giggled, holding the letter to her chest. She was surprised how fast her heart beat, as though it could explode just by her thinking about what the letter admitted. _I mean, Ash and I have only known each other for a short time. And yet...he really likes me!_

But now one question remained:

Did Dawn like Ash?

Closing navy eyes, Dawn deeply pondered. _I've never really stopped to think about how I've felt about Ash. Come to think of it, there aren't too many guys I know well, anyway. Most guys my age are just starting to exit the koodies stage, and I don't want to get involved with a guy who's 'too' old, either._

_Nando is admirable, charming, and definitely mature. It must be soo romantic to date a real troubadour! He plays the harp so enchantingly, and his Pokemon skills are amazing! Talk about multi-talented. I know I could learn so much from him. Still, I kinda' wish Nando wasn't so much older, cause' I'm sure he could make a woman very happy. _

_The same applies to Brock, too. If he takes care of a girl like he takes care of me, Ash, and our Pokemon, someday Brock is sure to be a terrific husband, and even father. But until then, the guy seriously needs to sic a fire hose on his hormones! Whenever that materializes, I know Brock will become an excellent boyfriend. I just think he's too old to become MY boyfriend. I'd feel more comfortable with a boy closer to my age._

_I suppose Paul is closer to my age, but heavens knows what crawled up his butt and died! That guy's got serious attitude issues! And the way he treats Pokemon so cruelly, especially poor Chimchar, I can't blame Ash for losing his temper in Paul's presence. If Paul's treatment of Pokemon is any indication of how he'd treat a girlfriend, I wouldn't be surprised if Paul abandoned a girl in the woods! Jerk! He makes me so mad!_

_Conway is way more tolerable than Paul, and he's closer to my age, too. The guy is a little nerdy and creepy sometimes, but like Nando, I know Conway could teach me some valuable Pokemon techniques. But we never spent enough time together to really get to know one another. Conway and I were randomly paired for the Pokemon tag-battle competition, but it was a 'computer' that paired us, not cupid! Beyond Pokemon competitions, I don't even know if Conway and I have anything more in common. Not exactly the foundation for the ideal relationship, huh?_

Trimming the list of potential boyfriends, Dawn then came to one _other_ candidate.

_…But no! If I told Leona once, I told her a thousand times! Kenny and I are just friends! REALLY!_

Last but not least, there was Ash, _the boy who sent me this letter in the first place._ Dawn smiled, glancing back at the not-so-eloquently-written-but-still-very-flattering love letter. _He's closer to my age, and...I guess we have a lot in common, too. We're both confident in ourselves, and come to think of it, he's been saying "no need to worry" a lot since I showed up. I guess we're both a tad reckless, though I think Ash has me beat on recklessness. He's not a coordinator, but he's participated in a few contests. We've inspired each other's techniques, too, and my spinning-dodge attack inspired Ash's winning of the Orreburg Gym badge._ Was there not a saying; "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?"

Truly and honestly thinking back, maybe the signs of Ash's affections for Dawn dated much further back than today. Ash _was _the person who initially insisted she join his Pokemon quest. Dawn admitted she partially invited herself along for the ride to Jubilife City, but nevertheless, Ash happily welcomed the newbie with open arms. Originally, Dawn believed Ash invited her because he felt indebted after Dawn rescued Pikachu from Team Rocket (that, and the fact that Ash might have felt guilty for Pikachu frying her bike, something Dawn learned he had a nasty habit of doing).

Maybe there was much more to Ash's welcome than Dawn knew. Granted, Dawn and Ash never knew each other until she set out on her journey, but maybe it was the classic "love at first sight" situation. As a romantic, Dawn did believe in romance clichés, even if the rational side of her brain begged to differ. Perhaps Dawn had such an intense first impression on Ash that he began to harbor affections the moment they met. Over time, Ash's feelings deepened from appreciation, to friendship, to _more_. Or perhaps, him and her were fated to fall in love. When Dawn first found the wounded Pikachu, perhaps the situation was a sign from the gods that she and Ash were destined to meet. It was inadvertently thanks to Pikachu that the trainer and coordinator met in the first place. Maybe everything in their lives built to that one moment when paths could cross.

Come to think of it, even Buneary, one of Dawn's own Pokemon, liked Pikachu, one of _Ash_'s Pokemon. Could that be another sign that Dawn and Ash were meant for each other? Brock did seem to believe that if two Pokemon fell in love, their trainers might fall in love as well. But Brock was just being idealistic…right?

Despite over-analyzing the situation, Dawn did realize one clear-cut fact. Technically, it did not matter if Ash liked Dawn. It did not matter if their meeting was predestined from birth, either. _Nothing_ mattered if Dawn failed to return Ash's feelings!

_DO I like Ash?_

In retrospect, Ash _was _the first boy she met with whom Dawn had anything in common. Although they had their moments of disagreeing, for the most part, she and Ash got along very well. They were close enough to be siblings, but were they close enough to be boyfriend and girlfriend? Ash obviously admired and liked Dawn, but…

_"Haha! Dawn, you're blushing! I knew it! 'Dee-Dee and Kenny sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G'!"_

Dawn blushed as though she were back in preschool. Who was she kidding?

_"'I really like you. Do you like me? Meet me at the Kelpsy grove by seven o'clock and let me no.'"_

What was Dawn to do?

Whatever the decision, as Dawn peered down at the pink Poketch on her wrist, the girl knew she needed to make a decision by seven o'clock.

* * *

D-D-_DAWN LIKES ME_?

Under the circumstances, Ash would have _vocally_ screamed that last exclamation, bug-eyed and hitting the ceiling (had there been a ceiling for him to hit in the forest, that is). Unfortunately, the boy could only shriek in his mind, because the second he opened his big mouth, Ash promptly choked on his candy bar.

Thank goodness Pikachu was nearby, immediately leaping to action and vigorously patting his coughing master's back. When pounding failed to dislodge the candy (or perhaps made matters worse), Pikachu resorted to Plan B. No time to spare saving his blue-faced Pikapi's life, the mouse's tail illuminated silver and launched an Iron Tail. The backblow shoved the convulsing Ash forward, face-first into the grass, thereafter the dangerous chocolate flew out of his mouth. But to Pikachu's unparalleled relief, Ash managed to pull himself back to his knees after a brief hacking fit. Tragedy averted!

Regaining himself, Ash wiped his mouth of grass, dirt, and chocolate-tinged saliva. "Uurgh…thanks, Pikachu," he wearily replied, rubbing his spine where Pikachu's homemade remedy hit home. Well, at least Pikachu's Iron Tail was getting much more powerful, though Ash wished he was not the test subject for Pikachu's attacks today. Which was worse: ironically choking to death via his favorite candy, or suffering spinal paralysis via his favorite Pokemon's Iron Tail? But tragedy averted, Ash counted his blessings, coughing sporadically in-between nursing his achy back. He appreciated Pikachu's help, but Ash could have sworn he almost felt a _dent_ in his lower back, too. "…I think."

"Pikachu!" the mouse squeaked merrily, giving his dear Pikapi a relieved hug.

The show over, Ash and Pikachu parted and resumed their break time. Although the mouse eagerly licked his ketchup bottle like an ice cream cone, Ash was less enthusiastic to return to food (for once in his life). After nearly choking to death via chocolate, Ash figured it best to save the remainder of his candy bar for later. Of course, perhaps the choking fiasco would not have happened if a.) Ash did not attempt to scarf his food down in one bite, and b.) had Ash not been eating whilst reading the _letter _which accompanied the mysterious candy.

By mid-afternoon, after resumed training, the boy and his Pikachu had retreated to a nearby stream. Both trainer and Pokemon needed a change in scenery, far away from the twerps' chaotic campsite. Pikachu could no longer tolerate the palpable tension left after Buneary's disappearance. Likewise, Ash still avoided Brock's "Misty sessions," the boy fearing he may lose his sanity if he heard Brock sing, "'They call me Dr. Love,'" one more time. After freshening up, Ash and Pikachu enjoyed a quick snack; Pikachu with his precious ketchup bottle, and Ash with a scrumptious dark chocolate bar.

_Come to think of it_... Ash pondered, picking up the untouched portion of the candy bar he found in his backpack. True, Ash always kept a small stash of goodies hidden in his bag, treats for both himself and his Pokemon. Naturally, Pikachu called dibs on a small ketchup bottle, and Ash claimed anything chocolate-related. In fact, the boy's chocolate-love was the reason why Ash's backpack rarely contained any chocolate in the first place. The confectionary delight never lasted long under Ash Ketchum's watch. Thus, it was quite a glorious surprise for Ash to have found the chocolate bar, as if angels rewarded him! But after his near-death experience with the said candy, Ash finally came back down to earth and realized, _Where DID this come from, anyway?_ True, Ash was not the most observant of people to grace…_anywhere_, but when it came to food Ash was quite sharp.

Even odder, a mysterious pink paper had been tied to the candy bar's wrapper. It was a letter, written in fairly delicate handwriting and exquisite grammar. Unfortunately, half of the message's words flew over Ash's head: "benevolent," "resolute," and he was not sure if "empathetic" was a compliment or another way of saying plain old "pathetic." (Unbeknownst to Ash, feministic Jessie assumed Dawn's writing skills left a little more to be desired than Ash's). Moreover, all of these words were used to describe _Ash_! He made a mental note to purchase a dictionary in the next town, just to translate _what _Dawn was actually trying to tell him.

_Dawn..._

_That _was the biggest shocker of all. Of all people, Dawn wrote the letter to Ash. The letter was not just any humdrum letter, either. _A…a love letter? _Even someone as dense as Ash knew that. And for all of the message's fancy words, he did manage to understand the punch line:

_"I like you, Ash."_

Hence, Ash gagged on the candy he ate. Maybe he should have finished eating before he read the letter. Delia never approved of Ash reading at the dinner table, not that Ash did a large amount of reading to begin with. Besides, why waste time reading when food is far more appealing? But his mind was wandering again, and now was not the time to ramble. Ash kept re-reading the letter, scrutinizing the "I like you, Ash" line to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks.

_Dawn...really likes me!_ Why else would she have written that love letter and sent him the chocolate bar? (Unbeknownst to Ash, Jessie worked under the assumption, "the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach"). There was no reason for a girl like Dawn to pull a dumb joke on Ash. People like Team Rocket were tricksters. Admittedly, even Ash played his share of jokes when he was younger, usually being partners in crime with Gary Oak. But Ash considered himself more of a trickster than Dawn could ever become!

But if the gift was not a joke, _then Dawn really LIKES me_. Since when did Dawn like Ash? Well, she obviously developed feelings sometime since Ash and her first met, but when _exactly _did the signs surface? Ash always figured people in love acted like Brock: goofy, proposing to the person of their desires, sharing kissy-kissy mush, and generally being excessively obvious (and obnoxious). But that was how _Brock_ handled romance, and who said Dawn was identical? The opposite sex was an entirely different universe to Ash Ketchum!

_Maybe Dawn's been keeping her feelings secretive all this time, maybe since we first met_, the black-haired boy pondered, absentmindedly rubbing his chin. Come to think of it, Dawn seemed quite eager to join Ash's Pokemon quest. Back then, Ash just believed the newbie coordinator tagged along to visit the Jubilife Pokemon Contest, but maybe Dawn's secretive intentions were deeper. After all, there was no law mandating people in love must behave as self-evident as Brock. And speaking of whom, it was the self-proclaimed Love Doctor who claimed admitting one's feelings was the greatest challenge. Since Day 1, what if Dawn secretly harbored feelings for Ash, and did not muster the courage to confess until now? _That's gotta' be it!_

Then Ash blinked, for a moment estranged by how..._positive _he sounded by that last observation. Who was _he _to know about love? Who was _he _to know what it was like to hoard feelings for someone since the first day they met? Who was _he _to know what it was like to stubbornly keep his feelings hidden from her? Who was _he _to know what it was like to constantly miss her, to think about her everyday, to remember how they used to argue, and how her red-haired temper both irritated and intoxicated him–?

Then Ash blinked again, and a _very _awkward silence swept through the clearing. For some reason, Ash noticed Pikachu's eyes on him, narrowed knowingly with a wide grin on the mouse's lips. Pikachu was not an expert at love, either, but the mouse was smart enough to know "that look" on Pikapi's rosy face. Only one person in the whole wide world could make Ash Ketchum blush that fervently.

_Pikachupi._

It was very amazing how a Pokemon and its trainer could know _exactly _what the other was thinking. Very fascinating, very enlightening, very...

_…And very embarrassing!_

Pikachu snickered, wondering which was a brighter red: ketchup, Pikachupi's hair, or Pikapi's _face_?

"...W-what?" Ash innocently inquired in a stammer, his current surroundings getting a bit warmer than he last noticed. Sometimes, being on the same wavelength as his Pokemon had its downfalls, especially when a certain electric mouse knew precisely what, or _whom_, Ash was thinking about. Attempting to dodge the bullet, the boy timidly scratched the back of his neck. "Why're you looking at me that way?"

Boasting his own romance issues today, Pikachu decided to keep his opinions to himself. Still, Ash's reaction to his Pokemon's silent interrogation was comical. Seriously, did Pikapi _really _think his love interest was some big secret?

Pikachu's silence offered little comfort to Ash, though it was no worse than the new revelation that slammed into his back like another Iron Tail.

_Dawn likes me._

_But..._

Pursing lips, the young boy dipped his head somewhat regretfully.

_...I...I don't like her._

Could he tell her? If Ash told Dawn he did not like her, Dawn would most likely ask whom _did _he like? And if he had to answer, then Dawn would know the truth...and would probably tell everyone else that Ash honestly loved...

But even worse than that, _If I tell Dawn I don't return her feelings_... Ash paused, biting his lip guiltily. _Then...she'll be hurt. Just because I don't like her, doesn't mean I don't like her._

He paused, realizing the incredibly stupid thing he just thought, and rewarded himself a mental slap._ I mean, just because I don't...'like' her, like she likes me...uh, doesn't mean I don't care about her._ Miraculously, Ash was finally starting to make more sense to himself. _Dawn is one of my best friends, and I don't want to hurt her._

_But then...what CAN I do? Should I lie and say I DO like her?_ Even Ash was smart enough to know that idea was cruel. He was always told, "honesty was the best policy," even though the truth can hurt more than a lie. _But...even if I DO tell Dawn the truth...what if she hates me? I may not...'love' her, but I don't want to lose her, either._

He did not want to break Dawn's heart, but Ash soon realized that he was destined to "hurt" her, one way or another. Either Ash would break Dawn's heart via not returning her feelings, or via lying and pretending to return her feelings. Neither was appealing, though the first option was the most honest. _At least, if I tell her the truth...in the long run, it'll probably be for the best._

Scrutinizing Dawn's letter again, Ash noted the final line:

_"P.S. Meet me at the Kelpsy grove at seven o'clock and tell me how you feel. P.S.S. Could you please bring Pikachu, too?"_

Ash knew where those Kelpsy grew, since it was the grove he and Pikachu trained before the first Ice Beam episode. The area was beautiful, lined with large Kepsy bushes, fully-bloomed with massive peach-colored flowers. The large blade-like petals swayed daintily in the breeze, and the sweet fragrances were aromatic. Ash imaged the grove would look highly romantic at nighttime, especially with the glowing stars and moon suspended overhead. Dawn had good taste in picking a location for two lovers.

Too bad the romantic mood would be shattered once Ash broke Dawn's heart.

Sighing loudly, Ash turned back to his ketchup-preoccupied Pikachu. "I'm really up the creek this time, aren't I, buddy?"

Pikachu almost made another tease, but failed. His ketchup-licking ceased once an image of Buneary seeped back into his thoughts. Pikachu still had yet to formulate a plan to help the bunny. But Pikapi always came first in Pikachu's life, so the mouse tried to concoct a way to help Ash. Yet, how could Pikachu give Ash romance-pointers when the mouse was equally helpless? Why in Ho-Oh's name did love have to be so complicated?

"Pikapi, chu kapichu," Pikachu softly admitted, which Ash easily translated.

_You me both, Pikapi. _

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N**: Ash's near-death by chocolate. Heh, I suppose it wouldn't be an Aiselne-story if I didn't (almost) send Ash to the hospital. *Aiselne the meanie* I suppose I owe the kid another candy bar, huh?

Anyhoo, the next chapter should be fun: Ash and Dawn's momentous encounter! How will the boy and girl break the news to each other? Will Dawn ever stop kidding herself? Does Buneary have any hope for success? Will Pikachu solve the mystery that is romance? Will Team Rocket's blackmail work? Will Brock ever realize he's no Casanova? Will Aiselne ever be _nice_ to Ash? And will the idiot authoress quit her rhetorical questions, already? All this and more, next time!


	5. Mixed Feelings

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_

**COMMENTS**: I just want to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who's read/reviewed, and generally supported this story. I hope you're having fun reading this silly fic, because I've had fun writing it! As some people may/may not know, this is my first venture into Lagomorphshipping, so this tale has been a new experience for me. So I really appreciate CWBE's followers!

Also, a few reviewers have disabled their PM services, preventing me from more personally thanking their generosity. So I'd like to extend my special appreciation to the reviewers whom I haven't been able to thank so far. I'm very appreciative of your (and everyone's) support! I hope everybody continues to enjoy this fic to its ending. ^_^

BTW: I'm encountering doc-upload issues with this website (again), so I kindly ask readers to please bear with any possible formatting faux pas with this chapter. Thanks!

* * *

**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Five ~ * ~ Mixed Feelings ~ * ~**

"Don't yous worry, Buneary!" Meowth reassured confidently, sitting down beside the rabbit and admiring the overhead moon. Perhaps it was by nature, but the cat always loved to gaze at the beautiful, tranquil moon. While Jessie and James prepared nets for the upcoming Pokemon heist, Meowth took this opportunity to mingle with his newfound crony. "Before ya know it, da twoirp and twoirpette will be ta'getha, and so will you and Pikachu! Won't dat' be great?"

Of course it would be great! In fact, "great" was too vague a word to describe how glorious it would be for Buneary to finally be with Pikachu. But before she could bask in fantasyland, something held back Buneary. For an unknown reason, she was getting second thoughts, and not so much about Team Rocket's scheme or faithfulness. This new doubt manifesting inside her chest made Buneary fearful…not fearful for her safety, but fearful for something deeper.

_What if_… Buneary's long ears drooped. Now of all times, she did not want to second-guess her plan, but she could not help herself, either. _What if this idea doesn't work after all? What if Dawn and Ash don't fall in love? Or worse, what if they DO fall in love, and that's not enough to stir Pikachu's feelings? What if they get mad at me for working with Team Rocket? What if PIKACHU gets mad? What if he hates me? No! Oh, I don't want that! Never! Never!_

"Hey, whatcha' cryin' for?"

Tears dripped into her fur before Buneary realized. She was getting ahead of herself, scaring herself silly before anything even happened. Besides, it was too late for second-guessing. Buneary should have worried about these what-ifs _before_ agreeing to collaborate with Team Rocket. _She_ chose this path of her own volition, and she would have to accept any possible consequences.

"Chin up, goirl!" Meowth's paw patted her shoulder while the sniffling Buneary dabbed her eyes. The cat hated to empathize with the twerps. Yet, he was not blind to the fact that this clueless rabbit deeply loved Pikachu. Buneary had no clue what she got herself into, and she had no clue about true love, but none of that seemed to matter to her. The axis of her little world was Pikachu. He was all that mattered. As naïve as the bunny behaved, Buneary _was_ in love.

"Love is a challenging road. Den' again, love wouldn't be woirthwhile if it came easy, now would it?" Meowth's rhetorical question made Buneary blink once. The cat spoke from experience, even if the fruits of his labor spoiled via Meowsie's rejection. Nevertheless, during those long nights of studying, Meowth would peer up at the moon, picturing the object of his affection. Clouded by infatuation, the cat did not care if he was fighting a losing battle, or if he would turn himself into a human-talking Pokemon freak. _It was for Meowsie, and dat' was all dat' mattered to me_. Buneary was no different.

For the first time all day, Meowth felt his conscience prick. Now was too late to cancel Team Rocket's latest Pikachu poaching. The cat and his crew had a job to execute and a promotion at stake. But now, it _was _a slight exaggeration to say Meowth could utterly care less about Buneary's feelings. In fact, Meowth felt a tad jealous that Pikachu had such a devoted little lover. _If only Meowsie felt dat' way about me._

He could hear Jessie and James' boots creep closer, and Meowth knew they had a net with Buneary's name on it. It was time to get the stealing show on the road. Meowth hated acting so soft-boiled towards enemies, anyway. But perhaps it was due to Meowth's darn conscience, he felt the need to say one last thing to Buneary.

"And for whateva' it's woirth…" Meowth whispered into Buneary's ear, just as James' shadow fell over the rabbit. "…Pikachu's lucky ta' have ya."

* * *

_Love is ridiculously confusing._

The last time Dawn felt this nervous was at her first Pokemon Contest. Speaking of which, she felt nostalgically similar to preparing for an actual contest. As she stood in the beautiful starlit Kelpsy grove, awaiting Ash's arrival, Dawn surveyed her appearance.

_Am I going overboard?_ The coordinator could only wonder as Dawn's right finger fiddled with one of two blue curls framing her face. For the occasion, the girl styled her hair (courtesy of _Piplup_, not Buneary. Dawn learned her lesson after today's Ice Beam ordeals), leaving her white hat at the campsite in order to showcase curled locks. Her usual clothes had been washed; fresh-scented with the pink skirt elegantly fluttering in a breeze. For a good measure, Dawn added a modest touch of lip-gloss and makeup to her face; nothing overkill, but enough to make this moment special. The young woman's appearance was far from "fancy," but Dawn still looked _above_-casual.

Like it or not, and in a certain respect, tonight was special…or at least, tonight was _meant_ to be special. Eternally the romantic, Dawn believed she should look presentable for this encounter, even though she was not expecting Ash to do the same. _But that's okay_, Dawn understood with a small smile. Even if Ash was no poet or snazzy dresser, the boy was sweet enough to admit his feelings for her. Could Dawn really ask for anything more?

Nevertheless, therein still remained the unanswered question: was Dawn going overboard? Or better yet, _why_ was she going overboard?

Alas, Dawn knew why she spent more time fussing over her appearance. True, the girl was a coordinator and loved frilly fashions. But dominantly, Dawn sought a distraction. Primping herself was the ideal excuse for her to worry about cosmetics and clothes, rather than worry about what _truly_ plagued her mind.

_What am I gonna' tell Ash?_

Dodging the question was never a wise choice to make. "Pay me now, or pay me later." Eventually, Dawn knew she needed to make up her mind. But how? Everything happened so quickly. Out of the blue, Ash liked her! Was she plain stupid for not realizing his feelings sooner? No. Dawn could not blame herself for Ash's secretive feelings, because they were _his_ business until _he_ decided to confess. Dawn's responsibility was not to invade Ash's privacy.

"_Do you like me?"_

However, it _was_ Dawn's responsibility to give Ash an honest answer.

She did not dare consult anyone for advice, be it Brock or any of their Pokemon. Besides, the aforementioned were busy back at camp, Brock tending to all the Pokemon's needs before bedtime. Brock always had an hour ordeal prepping picky baby Pokemon like Happiny and Pachirisu for bedtime. It may not have been fair to dump the responsibilities onto Brock, but it _was_ the perfect opportunity for Dawn and Ash to sneak away tonight.

Then again, Dawn did believe chores were more manageable than her inevitable encounter in the Kelpsy grove. Minutely, the girl avoided Brock and Pokemon because of their potential teases. _Dominantly_, Dawn isolated herself because this matter was a problem the girl had to solve on her own. Ash was an earnest friend, and he deserved an earnest answer to his question. The only problem was that Dawn did not know what her earnest answer would be! Could she break his heart? Should she lie? Neither option was appealing. Despite her confused thoughts, there was no doubt in Dawn's mind that she deeply and unconditionally cared for Ash Ketchum.

Her heart throbbed for various reasons Dawn failed to identify. Why _was _her heart pounding so vehemently? Taking a deep breath, Dawn did her best to steady herself. According to her Poketch, seven o'clock had passed, so Ash should have arrived by now. Dawn did not know what she would do if this moment turned out to be a stupid joke, though she trusted Ash enough not to do so. _He'll show up. No need to worry!_

Dawn bit her tongue. Almost every time she said or thought that phrase, something worry-related ensued. Now was not the time for Dawn to jinx herself. However, her heart skipped another beat when she recalled her tagline. Ordinarily, Dawn heard her own voice speak her infamous line, but this time around…

"_No need to worry, right?"_

…She remembered Ash's food-garbled reassurance from lunchtime.

As if it had a mind of its own, Dawn's palm ascended to her line of vision. It was the same hand Buneary Ice Beamed to Ash. Weeks seemed to have passed since the aforementioned fiasco happened. But now, more than ever, Dawn's hand quaked. Indeed, she was holding Ash's heart in her palm, and it would be Dawn's decision as to what she would do with the tender boy. Such a heavy responsibility sagged the navy-haired girl's shoulders. Dawn's ultimate distraction was her guilt.

_Why don't you figure out what you're gonna say, already!_ she scolded herself. _Ash really likes you, and he's gonna' want to know if you return his feelings! At the very least, he deserves a direct answer, not you stuttering and concocting an answer on the spot. I'm sure Ash put a lot of thought into this occasion, so you should do the same!_

Unfortunately, try as she might, Dawn was making few breakthroughs, and had not been all afternoon. She kept recalling the "special" times she had with Ash, but they were few and far between. Certainly, the kids never dated. The girl and boy's most "together time" was probably during the Jubilife Pokemon Contest, when both Dawn and Ash participated. The Alamos Town crisis really did not count as "romantic." She and Ash were not even alone when they first met, as Brock was right there with them. Sure, there came a few occasions where Dawn and Ash gave each other high-fives or a saving/helping hand, but they never _romantically _held hands!

_But...this afternoon..._

Dawn's palm folded into a quivering fist. Earlier that day, both trainers held hands, though the circumstances were miles away from anything mushy. _Still...having Ash's hand in mine...DID feel kinda' nice_, Dawn had to admit, noticing her cheeks warm at the memory. She did not have a long history of handholding, but there was one other time when a boy's hand made Dawn's cheeks redden.

"_Haha! Look at Dawn's funny hair! It's all static-y and sparkly! She looks like she's got diamond dandruff! 'Diamond dandruff Dee-Dee!' Hehehahaha!"_

"_Stop it! Kenny! Leona! You…y-you guys are so mean!"_

"_Oh come'on! Chill out. We're just teasin' ya, Dee-Dee!"_

"_Stop calling me Dee-Dee!"_

"_Heh, but the name really suits you, Dee-Dee!"_

"_No it d-doesn't! Hic. Quit m-making…f-fun of me!"_

Dawn hated that memory; when her preschool trio had a fateful Electric Pokemon encounter that rendered Dee-Dee's hair a pretty static ball. Children often teased each other for the dumbest reasons. Now older, Dawn knew the Dee-Dee incident was nowhere near as monumental as she made it out to be. No pre-teenager would fall to ground, curl up in a ball, and blubber over static-hair and silly name-calling. But for a _preschooler_…

"_Oh, hey, we're sorry, Dee– er, Dawn. Don't cry. Really, Leona and I didn't mean to upset you that much."_

"_W-well…you D-DID upset me, Kenny!"_

"_Yeah…I know. I'm sorry, Dawn. Really."_

True, Kenny never completely stopped the Dee-Dee jokes, but he definitely learned never to torment Dawn to the point of tears ever again. And slowly but surely (or, more slowly than surely), Dawn was maturing to a point when she could understand her own juvenile behavior. After the events she saw along her Pokemon quest, especially after Dialga and Palkia's near-apocalypse in Alamos Town, Dawn knew Dee-Dee's diamond dandruff was _not_ the end of the world. Besides, regardless of Kenny's schoolyard pranks, the boy was not immature enough to comfort his crying Dee-Dee.

_Kenny helped me climb out of the sandbox, holding my hand… _

_I stopped crying after that._

Sighing, Dawn wrapped one of her navy curls around a finger. Yes, there _was _a time Dawn "liked" Kenny, but his Dee-Dee teases made Dawn less affirmative nowadays. But that afternoon on the playground, her hand in his, Dawn felt something. To this day, she could not specifically identify that "something." Even though she was a mere preschooler, Dawn knew she liked holding Kenny's warm hand. That, and she liked seeing his warmer side.

Ironically, Dawn could have sworn she felt the same "something" earlier today, when she touched another boy's hand. Only this time, Dawn held Ash's hand, not Kenny's. Still, just like in preschool, Dawn felt herself enchanted by a boy who offered her both his hand and his sweet concern. Old and odder emotions were sparked, and now Dawn needed to figure out _why _she was feeling this way. Was it because these feelings reminded Dawn of her past crush on Kenny? Or, was she gaining entirely knew feelings for Ash?

Dawn knew she was getting nowhere. She did not have any answers for herself! What answers could she possibly tell _Ash_ once he arrived?

She would soon find out, because ruffled Kelpsy leaves snatched Dawn's attention. Immediately, the coordinator spun towards the noise, the motion causing blue curls to bounce against her cheeks. Better late than never, Dawn's once-secret admirer entered the clearing with his trusty Pikachu atop his shoulder. Part of Dawn was surprised the mouse tagged along, since she left her Pokemon back at camp. She never minded cute little Pikachu's presence, but the girl figured Ash would want him and her to be alone. _Then again, Pikachu could be tagging along for Ash's moral support_. There was no doubt in Dawn's mind that Ash was feeling pretty nervous right now.

At the moment, "nervous" was too vague a word to describe the whirlwind of emotions inside Ash. He knew he arrived a few minutes late for this shindig, but the trainer was not without reason. Believe it or not, Ash had arrived at the Kelpsy grove a few minutes _early_. He would have made perfect punctual attendance, had Ash not seen…_her_.

The moment his brown eyes found Dawn across the grove, the boy wanted to sink into the very dirt he felt like. Not only was Ash torn between his feelings for Dawn, but now he felt downright stupid for arriving to the grove in his casuals. Granted, Dawn did not look glitzy enough to attend a ball at Cameron Palace, but she obviously spruced up her hair and clothes for this occasion. Dawn looked too pretty to just be standing in a forest clearing. Why _wouldn't_ she dress up? Tonight was an important night for Dawn…

_Er…wait_… Ash suddenly realized when a new realization came out of nowhere. _Did I just think Dawn looks…'pretty'? _It was out of character for Ash Ketchum to compliment a girl's looks. Of course, Ash never had much experience with "feminine" girls, either. Misty and May were tomboys, so Ash considered Dawn the first "_real _girl" he ever traveled alongside (and thank heavens Misty and May would never hear him say that, too!). _So...I guess it's okay to compliment how pretty Dawn looks. It's not like Dawn's never looked like a girl in the first place, unlike Mist– _

That was another problem Ash kept having today. Instead of Dawn's love letter igniting Ash's feelings for her, the letter inadvertently provoked Ash's feelings for _another_ girl. Now was not the time for him to think about Misty. Naturally, Ash automatically felt guiltier, thinking about the redhead when he _should_ be concentrating on the poor coordinator standing right in front of him! Dawn was so sweet, dressing up for Ash, confessing her feelings to Ash, caring about Ash – and she was destined to be devastated by Ash, too.

Knowing it would be best to quickly end this matter, Ash took a deep breath and started. "Dawn...there's, uh, something I have to tell you," he admitted, glancing at his sneakers for a second, fearing the inevitable revelation. Ash did not know what he would do if Dawn got upset. He may not be in love with her, but Ash could not bear it if Dawn cried, especially if he was the cause for her tears. "I...really don't know how to put this, but, well, ya' see–"

"I know, I know, Ash," Dawn unexpectedly interrupted his ramble, nodding understandingly as she folded hands behind her back. She did not intend to rudely cut-off Ash, but Dawn was not about to make him feel as embarrassed as he looked. The poor boy was obviously awkward, and Dawn wanted to alleviate that anxiety to the best of her ability.

_Oh Ash_. Her glossy lips pursed sympathetically. _He's so nervous, not that I blame him. This is a big step for him. Writing about loving someone is tough, but finally SAYING so is even tougher. He's really trying his hardest, too._ "Look, you don't have to explain anything," Dawn reassured sweetly. "I understand."

Blinking, Ash exchanged a quick glance with Pikachu, making sure he was not hearing things. _'Understand?'_ How did Dawn understand? Then again, Ash never considered himself to be very discreet, so maybe his answer was obvious in his expression. Even so, Ash did not even drop the bomb yet. Not that he was complaining, but Ash figured Dawn would be far more upset upon learning the bad news. "You..._understand_?"

If there was one thing Dawn learned after this crazy day, it was that she understood the challenges of confessing one's affections. Of course Dawn understood Ash's trepidation, because she felt the same. "I do."

This moment was weird, but Ash was feeling more comfortable with the circumstances. _So…Dawn understands my feelings after all?_He felt like asking Pikachu to Iron Tail-smack him upside the head. _Duh! OF COURSE Dawn understands! You idiot! She found out about your feelings for Misty last night! Dawn already knows how you feel_.

But therein laid the next mystery. If Dawn knew about Ash's feelings for Misty, why did the coordinator bother confessing her love to Ash? Was she trying to take Ash away from Misty? _Nah, Dawn's not like that!_ Then again, what law stated Dawn was not allowed to confess her unrequited feelings? After learning that Ash liked Misty, Dawn obviously had nothing to lose. Maybe the blue-haired girl wanted to confess her feelings and relieve a burden from her conscience. Ash was no love-expert. But perhaps this moment was Dawn's "closure;" to let go of her feelings for Ash, so both she and him could move on and find people with whom to truly share love.

Whatever the case, Ash had to admit Dawn was nowhere near as crushed as the boy anticipated. If she understood his feelings, then there was no need for Ash to baby her or expect the girl to fall apart. In a way, Ash felt dumb for thinking Dawn was so fragile. The sapphire-haired coordinator was much stronger than Ash credited her for, and really, he respected her for such. Obviously, there was no shame in Ash telling Dawn the truth.

Relieved beyond belief, Ash took a breath he never realized he was holding. "So...it's okay, Dawn?"

"Of course it is!" Dawn reassured with a giggle, but not before realizing what she was saying. Who was Dawn to say everything was okey-dokey when she was unsure how she truly felt about Ash? _Uh-oh, could I be leading Ash into a false sense of security? I can't do that to him! He's my friend!_ Truth of the matter was, Dawn still did not know if she truly "loved" Ash or not, and her illustrious decision was in no hurry to arrive, either. Indecision or not, Dawn knew she needed to explain herself.

Momentarily staring at her pink boots, Dawn bit her lip, preparing herself. Something was telling her that she had not quite made herself clear to Ash. "What I mean is…I...I understand...how you feel, Ash," she stared gently, cringing when she noticed Ash shift uncomfortably. The last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

_She...understands how I feel?_ Wow, this matter was getting easier and easier! If Dawn liked Ash, yet understood how _he _did not like _her_...that would explain why she was not so upset. Sighing in humungous relief, Ash felt as though a huge burden was lifted from his shoulders. "Well, as long as you're...not mad at me," he smiled, impishly rubbing the back of his neck. He still did not want to upset Dawn, but Ash had to admit, she was much more mature about handling matters of love…more mature than Ash could ever become. He counted his blessings.

"Why would I be _mad_?" Dawn asked rather incredulously. She was not violent or temperamental, certainly not like that Misty character. Then again, after traveling with the adamant redhead for so long, perhaps Ash became naturally intimidated by girls. _Heck, with a person like Misty, I can't blame him!_

"Oh Ash...is _that _why you...waited to tell me?" gently asked Dawn, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder, opposing the side with Pikachu. Dawn did not want him to fear her; he was one of her best friends, after all, and the girl would never do anything to hurt Ash.

Ash felt the same for Dawn. "I just...didn't want to upset you, Dawn," he admitted with an innocent shrug. He was still baffled at how well Dawn was taking this news. But in retrospect, Ash remembered how Misty claimed girls matured faster than boys. Perhaps this situation was proof of how much higher girls were on the maturity scale. Whatever the reasons, Ash automatically felt ten times more comfortable.

"Heh, to tell you the truth…" Dawn then noted, shuffling a boot. "I was a little worried _I'd _upset _you_." She, herself, was amazed at how well Ash handled her not returning his feelings. Dawn did not expect the boy to be traumatized, but she _did _expect Ash to be a bit more downtrodden than he appeared. "I know stuff like this is never easy."

She had a point. "Yeah, but I'm sure it's no easier for _you_, either," Ash assumed. After all, Dawn was the "victim" for being shot down by him, right? Then again, Dawn rarely crossed Ash as a sore loser. She had her moments of being disappointed, but certainly not in a jealous or immature manner. No longer was Dawn some green newbie, because after tonight, Ash considered her to be impressively grown-up. "But I'm glad you're okay with this."

"I am, Ash," Dawn confirmed. She _was _okay with how he felt about her, but Dawn just was not 'okay' with her indecisive side of the story. But Ash did not seem to be in a hurry to jump-start their relationship, and he seemed willing to give the girl time to sort through her emotions. Dawn used to believe Ash jumped headfirst into everything, but instead he was approaching romance very wisely. Maybe Ash Ketchum was not quite as scatterbrained as he once behaved. He was bound to grow up eventually. "I'm fine with all this, as long as you're okay with _me–_"

"OH GIMMIE A BREAK!"

The two kids and Pikachu instantly blinked, spinning around towards the direction of the unexpected shriek. Speaking of shriek, the unexpected voice sounded strikingly older, feminine…and _familiar_. Leaving little time for the mystery to thicken, the short-tempered woman emerged from nearby bushes, gloved hands on hips and her long red hair speckled with Kelpsy leaves. Meowth and James were poorly hidden behind her, fruitlessly trying to shush Jessie for 'sneaking around' purposes.

But Jessie had heard enough. Not only had she degraded her romantic ingenuity to twerp-level, but now she had to listen to this mind-numbing conversation. "You twerps are denser than I originally thought!" Jessie screamed, kicking away James when he tried to drag her back down to their hiding place. She wanted to steal Pikachu, too, but if Ash and Dawn kept chatting like this, it would be sunrise before a Pika-poaching opportunity might present itself. The "Skitty was out of the bag" as far as Jessie was concerned. "Does either one of you brain-dead brats have _any _idea of what the other's talking about?"

Blinking again, Ash and Dawn exchanged expressions. Minus the obvious question of why Team Rocket suddenly showed up, what was Jessie talking about? _Of course_ the twerps knew what the other was discussing…right?

"What're you talking about, Jessie?" Dawn inquired with a raised eyebrow. _Leave it to Team Rocket to ruin a moment. _Just when she was finally comfortable conversing with Ash about their feelings, the Rocket cronies _had _to show up. _And Pikachu just-so-happens to be here…_

That last thought struck a sudden cord with Dawn. _Pikachu... wait, why WAS Pikachu brought here? Was it for moral support, after all? _True, it was not uncommon for Pikachu to tag along wherever Ash went, _but why NOW? Why during a semi-romantic scene? _The Electric Type's presence seemed convenient, especially now with Team Rocket's even-more-convenient cameo. The more Dawn thought about it, the more she realized Pikachu's appearance was too convenient for her taste. _Does Team Rocket know something Ash and I don't?_

As if able to read the girl's thoughts, Jessie grinned, motioned towards her partners. No need to hide anymore, the Team Rocket trio got down to business, doing what they (thought they) did best. Signature poses ready, Jessie began, "Listen, is that the voice of a ditsy girl I hear?"

"She and the twerp haven't got a clue why we're here!" James added matter-of-factly, the twerp-teasing Mime Jr. snickering into his shoulder.

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"In your ear...chaos and hope...Jessie, James...et cet'ra, et cet'ra, et cet'ra!" Meowth hastily interrupted, breaking apart the longwinded motto to tend to more pressing matters. "Dey' know da' rest, so let's just get on with it already!" the cat exclaimed, hopping before his teammates and pointing a finger at the yellow mouse atop Ash's shoulder. "Listen twoirpo, just hand ova' Pikachu and we'll leave you and ya goirlfriend alone!"

Balling a fist, Ash clenched his teeth. "Like that'll happen, Meowth!" Ash would rather die than simply hand over Pikachu to anyone, let alone Team Rocket. Noticing his mouse's red cheeks spark electricity, Ash also readied himself for another inevitable battle against the thieves. "If you think you're getting Pikachu...you're sorely mista-"

"GIRLFRIEND?" Dawn suddenly screamed, her eardrum-splitting pitch enough to send Ash, Pikachu, and even Team Rocket almost out of their skins. But Dawn was too appalled to notice anything else, except the crook's last accusation. Although the coordinator knew she should place Pikachu's safety first, the blue-haired girl could not stop thinking about Meowth's words.

_Girlfriend? How dare those stooges call me Ash's girlfriend! That is NOT funny! _The last thing Dawn wanted was for Jessie, James, and Meowth to be poking fun at this situation. Deep down, Ash must already be embarrassed enough over his confession. The poor boy did not need Team Rocket rubbing salt in his wounds. "_You're _the ones who don't know what the heck you're talking about!"

"That's where you're wrong, little miss twerp!" Jessie corrected sarcastically, then tugging a rope Dawn and Ash filed to notice sooner. Dragged from behind the Kelpsy bushes appeared a small net. Surely, it was not uncommon to see Team Rocket toting around an empty Pokemon net. However, it _was_ uncommon for the net to be filled with a Pokemon. More profoundly, Dawn nearly screamed again upon noticing the Pokemon inside Jessie's net was…

Red lips grinning nefariously, Jessie declared checkmate. "Your Buneary is quite the matchmaker, Donna," the woman purposely insulted, though Dawn was too worried about her net-bound bunny to care about name-calling. "Still, she's still not as valuable as Pikachu."

Glad that their plan was actually going according to plan (for once), James felt his own grin tug his lips. _Ooh, we haven't done blackmail in a long, long time! It feels great! _"But we're nice enough to make an exchange," he pretended to offer generously, pointing to the yellow target on Ash's shoulder. "One match-making Buneary, in exchange for one Pikachu!"

"That's not fair!" Dawn exclaimed, albeit childishly. Panic began bubbling throughout her body, even though she knew Team Rocket was no true threat. However, there was one other issue Dawn worried about.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt–!"

Wide-eyed and mouth agape, Dawn reacted faster than Pikachu. "Wait! Ash! Don't!" the coordinator jumped in front of the boy and rodent, canceling Pikachu's electric attack before any harm came. She knew her friends intended to help, but, "You might electrocute Buneary!"

Dawn made a valid point, and Team Rocket took full advantage of it. "Dat's right, twoirp!" Meowth sneered, patting Buneary's net tauntingly. "Wouldn't want anytin' ta happen to Buneary here, wouldja? Ya neva' know when these nets of ours are shockproof, huh? Maybe the net is shockproof…but maybe it _ain't_." To be honest, Meowth had no intentions of harming Buneary, but the twerps did not necessarily have to know that small detail. Cats eyes glaring into Ash's uncertain orbs, Meowth declared his own checkmate. "Hehehe, how lucky are ya feelin'?"

The black-haired boy hated to admit defeat, but Ash's options ran thin. Obeying Dawn's love letter, Ash brought Pikachu to the Kelpsy grove, meaning he brought _only _Pikachu. The rest of his team was back at Brock's campsite. Based on the fact that Dawn had yet to sic any of her Pokemon after Buneary, Ash felt it safe to assume that the coordinator left her Pokemon behind, too. After all, tonight's meeting was meant to be just for her and Ash. The boy half-wished Brock would grow concerned by Ash and Dawn's extended departure, but what were the odds that the teenager would suddenly swoop in to save the day? Ash could not afford to be idealistic when Buneary's safety was on the line.

Still, Ash was not entirely out of options, and Pikachu knew that better than anyone. Regardless if Meowth spoke truth or lies about Buneary's shockproof net, the cat forgot that Pikachu had other abilities aside electric attacks. His tail already glowing silver, the mouse catapulted off Ash's shoulder before the trainer commanded.

Almost always on the same wavelength, Ash easily followed suit, declaring the order Pikachu knew by heart. "Slice open the net with Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

"Be careful of Buneary, too!" a concerned Dawn could not help but add.

Pikachu knew the routine. He could never harm Buneary, nor would he allow Team Rocket to use her. In fact, the electric rodent partially blamed _himself_ for this mess. _I knew I should've run after her!_ Self-chastised, Pikachu sprinted faster with each accumulating anxiety. _I shouldn't have ignored or avoided Buneary, just because I felt awkward. Team Rocket would've NEVER gotten near her if I were around. She'd always be safe by my side. Always!_

And that was when Pikachu realized something, and this time, it did not take long for him to identify that "something." Although this situation was not life-or-death, Pikachu's resolve was the same: he did not want anything bad to happen to Buneary. It was true that Pikachu felt the same about all his friends, human and Pokemon alike. However, the mouse could not recall the last time he jumped into battle before Ash's command, or the last time he ran so quickly to save someone from Team Rocket's usually-worry-free encounters.

Pikachu's mind could barely keep up with his body's actions, as if something else drove him towards Buneary. There was only one other being in the world whom Pikachu would run so brashly towards. And yet, all those times he ran into Pikapi's arms, Pikachu never quite felt like _this_. The world seemed to have vanished, and the mouse could only see the rabbit he sought to rescue. All Pikachu could think about was Buneary. He did not know how she did it, but Buneary became the axis of Pikachu's current world.

It was all the incentive Pikachu needed to charge at Jessie's net.

"Not so fast, rat!"

Alas, Pikachu's altruistic charge had one flaw. So blinded by his conflicting emotions for Buneary, the mouse never noticed his enemy's counterattack until Pikachu went sailing backwards. By the time Pikachu felt Pikapi's helping hands, the twerps came face-to-face with a barricade of Pokemon between them and Buneary. Seviper, Carnivine, and the rest of Jessie and James' Pokemon were rarely threatening. But what _really _got Pikachu nervous was when Meowth started poking the captured Buneary with one of his sharp claws.

"You jerks!" blasted Dawn, cursing herself for being disarmed at such an inopportune time. "Leave Buneary alone!"

"You hoird our demands, twoirpette!" Meowth countered with a raised index finger, then prodding Buneary again. The cat's claws never broke skin, and his pokes were equivalent to getting irritatingly poked by a dull pencil. Naturally, Buneary's "torment" was meant to coax the twerps' surrender, not hurt Buneary. The Team Rocket trio was desperate enough to do several crazy things, but Pokemon torture was never an option. Meowth had to make his act look _convincing_, though. "Give us Pikachu an' Buneary goes free. Otha'wise…" he trailed darkly, flashing not one but _three _claws in Buneary's direction for effect. The twerps' dropped jaws told Meowth he did a priceless performance.

But this time around, before any checkmates could be declared, Meowth's poky finger inexplicably felt cold, _very _cold. In fact, had Meowth not known better, he could have sworn the entire forest's temperature dropped significantly in a matter of seconds. Despite the time of night, Meowth knew he was _too_ cold for comfort, as if he froze his finger in an ice cube.

Much to Meowth's shock, his finger _was _stuck in a block of ice, and more was on the way. His blue eyes widened in horror when he saw his captive rabbit's mouth gleam more brightly than the moon. His hand frozen to the net, Meowth had nowhere to run from the close-range Ice Beam. "Oh no…Buneary! Cold! _Cold_! Daaaah! Jessie! James! Get me outta' here! _Nooow_!"

The babbling cat was too late, of course. Buneary took responsibility for joining Team Rocket earlier, and now she was taking responsibility for cleaning up this mess. Yes, she wanted Pikachu – more than anything. However, Meowth's crew was going too far via toying with Pikachu, Dawn, and Ash's feelings. The bunny knew she should have expected Team Rocket to attempt a steal, but that did not mean Buneary would allow it to happen.

_Steal Pikachu? NEVER! _Part of her felt possessive, not wanting anyone to have Pikachu, other than herself. But not all of her thoughts screamed, "My Pikachu! Mine! Mine! All mine!" Right now, if there was one thing Buneary wanted to keep Pikachu away from, she wanted to keep him away from harm.

Buneary may be young, and she may be naïve, but she was not 100% blind. She saw Pikachu valiantly attempt to save her. He saved her countless times before, too. How could she possibly think Pikachu hated her when he was risking himself for her sake? If Pikachu did not care about Buneary, then the mouse would not be illuminating his tail again, preparing another counterattack rescue.

And that was when Buneary realized something. _Pikachu DOES care about me_. Her only worry was whether or not Pikachu cared about her as intimately as she cared for him. _But…that's okay, too_, the rabbit knew, before launching Ice Beam at full blast.

_Pikachu cares about me._

Buneary's attack going wild, Ash and Dawn watched Team Rocket chaotically scramble. While poorly attempting to thaw partially-frozen limbs, Jessie's shrieks and James' "Eehehoheho!" with Meowth's caterwauling was an orchestra of hilarity. Now Ash and Dawn understood why Brock broke into hysterics when watching Buneary Ice Beam their hands together. But the boy and girl stifled giggles, remembering they had to remain focused and rescue Buneary. As the threatening ambiance lifted, now was the ideal opportunity to move in for the finishing blow.

"While Team Rocket's distracted, now's our chance!" Ash knew, Dawn nodding in utmost agreement. With Team Rocket in a frenzy, Buneary became lost in the sea of squirming bodies and flying icicles. But Ash was certain Pikachu could get the job done. "Get in there and rescue Buneary, buddy!"

"And send those three stooges packing, too!" Dawn added with an 'if-you-know-what-I-mean' wink. Pikachu knew he had clearance for a Team Rocket blast-off, but that would come after Buneary's rescue. _First things first!_

Steadfast not to lose a second time, the rodent bolted into the thick of Team Rocket's madness. Following the sources of the Ice Beams (and mindful not to get hit), Pikachu knew he would find Buneary at the heart of the matter. And once this matter was indeed over, when Buneary was safe and sound, only then would Pikachu feel peace.

Maybe then, he would finally understand this feeling he had for her.

_I'm coming, Buneary!_

Barely two minutes passed Dawn's Poketch before sparks ignited the air. Neither Ash nor Dawn could see Pikachu or Buneary anymore. Instead, they shielded their eyes from a bright yellow light, abruptly ending Team Rocket's show with a literal bang. While dust billowed at ground level, Pikachu's Thunderbolt sent the Rocket group star-bound. Half frozen, half electric-burned, and half-airborne, the thieves did what they did best at an embarrassing blast-off such as this: complain.

"Frankly, I'm _happy _that ordeal's over," Jessie lamented, her arms crossed over her chest. "It was a waste of time _and _my romantic talents. We stick to _my _plans from now on, not Meowth's!"

Speaking of Meowth, the soaring cat chose to ignore Jessie's last whine. He never understood why, but he always felt so tranquil when gazing into the (oncoming) moon. "Yeah, well, dat's what we get for buttin' into Pokemon love affairs. Besides, my plan woulda' been fine if yous two hadn't got greedy!"

"But 'greedy' is our middle name, Meowth," James and Mime Jr. both pointed knowing index fingers. "We're not cupid."

Meowth rolled his eyes. "Got dat' right. Yous two are just plain stupid, not cupid."

"_Wooo_oobbuffet!" saluted Wobbuffet, before Jessie and James perked offensively.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, MEOWTH?"

* * *

"Those three get weirder and weirder." Dawn just arched an eyebrow and sweatdropped. After Team Rocket's obligatory blast-off, the dust settled in the Kelpsy clearing. Leaves rustled and swayed, coercing Dawn to brush a few loosened strands of hair out of her vision.

Pulling away her hair like an opened curtain, Dawn's unveiled eyes first came upon the remaining human in the area. To be expected, Ash's eyes were focused away, waiting for Pikachu and Buneary to emerge from the diminishing smoke. The lightening breeze blew Ash's share of raven locks into his face, but unlike Dawn, he never tidied. His untidiness was not on account of his inherently unsophisticated personality, either. Right now, Ash had greater worries than unruly hair. He wanted to see Pikachu and Buneary, because Pokemon and friends always came first to Ash.

One more lock of navy hair feel across Dawn's face, but this time, she did not touch it. Only for a brief second did Dawn's attention deter from Buneary, thinking only about the brave young man who never thought twice about rescuing her dear Pokemon. The boy who supposedly loved Dawn, and the boy towards whom Dawn supposedly felt…

"Oh no! Dawn, look!"

Snapped out of her fantasy, Dawn felt punished for neglecting Buneary, even for a second. Because when Pikachu finally emerged from the blast-off's ground zero, he carried an unexpected 'package.' The mouse barely managed to lug the hefty burden to the agape Ash and Dawn. Moon and starlight glistened against the crystalline block of ice Pikachu rested at their feet. Preserved inside was an unmoving Buneary.

Because it was the mature thing to do, Dawn ignored the sheer irony of Buneary reaping the consequences of her mischievous Ice Beam. All those Ice Beams, and the outright chaos that engulfed Team Rocket's group, must have rendered Buneary attacking blindly, and firing close-range attacks yielded backfire. But now was not the time for poetic life lessons. Neither Dawn nor Ash had any Fire Pokemon readily available. Should they run back to camp? Could they carrying the heavy block of ice back to camp? Right now, Dawn fell to her knees, desperately attempting to formulate a plan to free her rabbit from the oxymoronic prison. Besides, both Dawn and Ash knew via experience that being frozen in ice was zero fun.

"Oh Buneary…" the coordinator absentmindedly cooed, placing a hand atop Buneary's icy block. _Just what's been going on with you today?_ Right now, Dawn was downright concerned for her precious Pokemon, for more than one reason.

"Stand back, Dawn!" the girl suddenly heard Ash order, prompting Dawn to her feet and stepping aside. Always the leader, always with a plan (though some plans better than others), Ash wasted no time to help a Pokemon. He did not even need to say the word to Pikachu before a streak of brilliant silver light slashed Buneary's ice cube. Sounds resembling shattered glass followed, while Dawn shut her eyes from spraying ice chips.

Upon opening her blue eyes, a smile rapidly overtook Dawn's lips. The matter easily rectified, Buneary's prison was reduced to shattered ice chunks. And in the middle of the glittery mess stood a wobbly Buneary; shivering, but very much alive.

Beaming with relief, Dawn instantly extended her arms outward to draw her chilled rabbit into an overjoyed hug. But so tired from overusing Ice Beam, along with the rest of today's nonsense, Buneary's legs did not wait for Dawn's arms. The rabbit's feet fell beneath her, sending the Pokemon on a collision course for the ground. Fortunately, Buneary never hit the ground, nor did she fall into Dawn's embrace.

_Pikachu saved me. Pikachu cares about me._

Perhaps it was because she slipped into unconsciousness, but Buneary could have sworn she fell into Pikachu's arms.

_And I'm so lucky to have him._

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N**: Alrighty! This fanfic is now winding down to its last couple of chapters, so get ready for the grand finale. I've still got a few shippy surprises in store for Buneary and friends, but that'll be for next time. Until then, as always, thanks very much for reading!


	6. Eyes to Eyes

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_

**COMMENTS**: Alrighty! We've finally come to the chapter that will answer everybody's burning questions (…or _will_ it? O_O Mwuaha!). Here's Part 1 of the grand finale. Enjoy!

* * *

**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Six ~ * ~ Eyes to Eyes ~ * ~**

"Pikachu! Hurry and carry Buneary back to camp! Brock and Chimchar will help her right out!" Ash's mouse not needing to be told twice, Pikachu high-tailed out of the Kelpsy grove, barely hearing Pikapi yell back, "We're right behind ya, buddy!"

Pikachu and Buneary disappeared, and Ash was ready, willing, and able to give chase. He would have run, too, had his sneakers not been stuck to the ground. Unsure at first, Ash paused and turned to his left, realizing the reason for his halt. Even though Buneary's state certainly was not critical, Ash was never the type of person to neglect a Pokemon in need of help. Even so, he refrained from following Pikachu, because the boy's eyes were unable to leave the worry-riddled girl standing beside him.

_Dawn_… The black-haired trainer's face softened sympathetically. Regardless if Buneary was safe or on death's door, Dawn was her trainer – heck, Dawn sometimes acted like Buneary's _mother_ – and the girl had every right to be concerned. One hand curled into a fist, pressed against Dawn's heart in an anxious manner. Plus, her eyes seemed slightly dazed, as if she was not in tune with reality. Maybe Ash empathized because he knew what it felt like to worry sick for his Pokemon, or maybe it was because Ash had ample experience with panicky moms. Or, perhaps his sympathy was a combination of the two. Either way, he did not like to see Dawn clouded by concerns, especially since he believed there was nothing to be overly concerned about in the first place.

"Buneary wasn't severely injured, and she had only been icebound for a minute at best," assumed Ash, carefully walking to Dawn and placing a hand on her bare shoulder. The poor coordinator was slightly trembling, deepening Ash's need to calm Dawn's nerves. "Besides, Pikachu will make sure nothing bad happens to her." Winking while gently rubbing her shoulder, Ash utilized this fine chance to reiterate Dawn's favorite phrase: "No need to worry, right, Dawn?"

To be expected, Dawn promptly snapped out of her daze, perking up to lock eyes with her comforter. Naturally, Dawn was worried about Buneary, but she also realized the bunny's situation was not worth an ulcer. Then again, nobody ever said Dawn's concerns were 100% Buneary-relevant, either. True, the Pokemon was in the back of Dawn's mind, and Dawn dearly loved Buneary. However, try as she might, the girl could not stop thinking about _another_ individual.

"_Brock's right, Dawn. Buneary's fine! She's a strong Pokemon."_

"_No need to worry, right?"_

"_Stand back, Dawn!"_

_I always knew Ash was heroic_, Dawn recalled, admiring his adorable face.

"Uh…Dawn, are you okay?" His big, brown, beautiful eyes blinked. Ash did not know why, but Dawn still did not appear 100% tuned into reality. Now, she just silently stared aimlessly at Ash, as if he were some pretty piece of artwork that demanded ogling. The attention easily made him uncomfortable. Furthermore, Dawn's eyes looked minutely glossy, and – was Ash seeing things? – her cheeks appeared faintly flushed.

Instinctively, the boy's heart dropped to his stomach. _Oh no_… The very thing Ash dreaded was coming true, and he did not fathom why! _Her cheeks are getting red…don't tell me Dawn's coming down with a cold or something_. True, the night temperature was not bitter, but maybe it was a little too late at night for Dawn to be outside wearing a miniskirt and sleeveless top. Instincts scolded Ash to be a gentleman for once, tear off his vest, and offer it to Dawn before she got any sicker.

But the look in Dawn's eyes was enough to stop Ash dead in his tracks. _Her eyes are kinda' glossy…gack! Oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE don't tell me Dawn's about to cry!_ The worst part was that Ash had no clue why Dawn behaved so strangely. Was he at fault? Ash just helped rescue Buneary, and he though Dawn understood his feelings for her. Then again, Jessie did ramble something about the twerps not knowing what the other was talking about, but…

Unlike the panic-stricken Ash, Dawn appeared peaceful, her smile sweetening at the sweeter boy standing before her shining blue eyes. _I always knew Ash was heroic. He's always put others before himself, and I can't believe I didn't pay closer attention before. People can take things for granted so easily, huh? But after today, after the way Ash rushed to save Buneary, how he kept me out of Team Rocket's harm…_

"Dawn? Hey, are you okay?"

…_How he comforted me…_

"Daawn. Come' on, do something."

…_How Ash confessed his love to me…_

"Dawn!"

Faster than lightning, Dawn obeyed Ash's request: she did something. Except, Ash never expected Dawn's "something" to be her jumping towards him, throwing slim arms around him, and pressing pink lips to his right cheek.

Then it was Ash's turn to tune-out of reality.

_Huh…? Wha? …D-Dawn?_

Ask her why she kissed him, and Dawn would give a long list of answers. Impulse, joy, gratitude…whatever her reason, the coordinator felt no regret. Why should she? This boy liked her, and just now, Dawn felt her indecision fizzle. No longer did Dawn question whether or not she liked Ash Ketchum.

Even so, Dawn kept her kiss brief, since she immediately felt Ash's body go numb. She expected this reaction, of course, because the kids' relationship was still in its infancy. It would take some time before Dawn and Ash felt more comfortable and open around each other. Until then, the coordinator was content with moving slowly, gently parting from Ash to give him necessary space. Many monumental events happened today, and both trainers needed time to absorb this unprecedented milestone.

It was amazing how one quick, second-long peck on the cheek could turn a person's world upside down. Frankly, Ash felt as though his world just went upside down, sideways, forwards, backwards, vertically, diagonally, horizontally, and then spun through two blenders and one washing machine. Okay, maybe he was slightly exaggerating, but there was no denying that Ash felt exceptionally discombobulated.

_Did…D-Dawn…just…do…wha-what…I…thought…she…just…d-did…?_

Congratulations. Hands-down, this moment won the award for most awkward experience of Ash Ketchum's life (for this year, anyway). Even Melody's peck on Shamuti Island paled compared to this random kiss scene. Ash knew he was blushing brighter than a spicy red Tamato Berry. He knew he was not moving, dumbstruck as though he just saw a ghost. He even knew he looked like a total dork for staring absentmindedly at Dawn. Nothing mattered. The girl kissed Ash so quickly and unexpectedly that his mind, body, and soul could not keep up. As awkward seconds ticked, the stunned boy felt his jaw quiver open, obliging to speak words Ash's brain failed to produce.

_How in the name of Palkia am I supposed to respond to…THAT?_

Dawn was a similar, but certainly not identical, case. She, herself, was surprised by her brashness. Bashfully smiling, and looking just as red as Ash, Dawn shuffled her foot again, nervously wringing hands as she formulated her explanation. The way matters appeared, Ash was going to need an explanation soon. The poor boy looked ready to pass out, and if such happened, Ash may need CPR. Based on his near-heart attack after a simple peck on the cheek, Dawn feared to imagine what might happen if Ash got kissed on the _lips_!

"Umm...look, Ash..." the coordinator began, trying to pick her words carefully. Ash was clearly the most distressed party member, but his silence was not making this moment easy for Dawn, either. "That kiss…that was just a...'thank you'," Dawn giggled lightly, curling the lips she just used on Ash. "Thank you for saving Buneary. The way you got right in there to help her was so…sweet. So, yeah…heh, thank you, Ash," she repeated, once again locking her glimmering blue eyes with Ash's stunned orbs. "Thank you for _everything_."

Ash figured he should have felt better after Dawn's explanation, but alas, his body was still mimicking a stupefied statue. Sure, Ash saving Buneary was important, but was Ash's rescue so amazing that it was worth a thank-you _kiss_? Besides, Ash did plenty other favors for Dawn during their travels, because friends were meant to unconditionally help each other. Heck, the boy saved rarer Pokemon, he saved towns, forests, and even the world a few times, yet Ash was lucky to hear somebody say, "Thank you." Was rescuing a rabbit from the rarely-threatening Team Rocket trio really _that_ crucial of an event, worthy of hugs and kisses? A simple "thanks" would have made Ash feel like a million bucks. Dawn loved Buneary, but a little voice inside Ash could not help but think the girl's gratefulness was going a teensy-weensy bit overboard.

When Ash's silence continued, Dawn's own awkwardness began to multiply. Although she did not regret her actions, deep down, Dawn knew she was spontaneous. Today's mayhem was still fresh in her memory. Ever since Dawn got Ash's love letter, she had been pondering her feelings for him. _But now...now that he saved Buneary..._ It was as though a light bulb clicked inside Dawn's head.

"I'll be honest, Ash," Dawn continued openly, looking away for a moment. "When I got your letter, I...wasn't sure how I felt about you at first." She could only hope he would not be offended by that factor. "But...after you saved Buneary..." she added, turning back around to Ash with a bright, confident smile. "...Well, maybe we _could _give things a try. You and I _do _make a good team, and Buneary and Pikachu sure get along. Hehe, it's like Brock said; 'if two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers can meet and fall in love, too'." Dawn wondered if she was going a bit too far with the 'love' aspect, but, "Hey, it's worth a shot, right?" _No need to worry!_

Of course, that was when everyone worried the most.

"Uh...h-hold on a minute, Dawn," Ash finally voiced, stammering as he tried to collect everything spinning around him. More than ever, Ash wanted to crawl back into his sleeping bag, fall fast asleep, and restart this entire day! Surely, a wild day such as this was too crazy to be real. Twice, Pikachu (innocently) used Ash for targeting practice, plus Buneary's Ice Beam fiascos, Dawn's love letter, Team Rocket's cameo (not that such was out of the ordinary), and all finished with _Dawn kissing him_! That was the breaking point.

True, it was not the first time Ash got kissed on the cheek. His first time was with Melody, and the second with Latias…or was it Bianca? Though Ash was far from a certified romantic, a part of him did wonder about his "third" kiss. He did believe in the superstitious saying, "the third time is the charm," thus Ash somewhat hoped his third kiss would be extra special. In fact, Ash felt quite embarrassed to admit he almost wished his third kiss would be special enough not to be _just_ on the cheek. Maybe Ash's super-special "third time charmer" kiss would be on the _lips_ – Ash Ketchum's first "real" kiss. Even better, maybe the person to give Ash that illustrious kiss would not be Melody or Bianca/Latias, but it would be Mist–

It was a miracle of modern science that Ash's face blushed _deeper_. Needless to say, Dawn was _not _the person with whom Ash expected to share his third kiss. Fortunately, Dawn did not kiss him on the lips, so there was still hope that he could share his first _real _kiss with Mist–

"Ash, are you okay?" Dawn suddenly asked, causing the boy to jump by the addressing. "Your face is getting really red!" Now, it was Dawn's turn to fear for Ash's health. The night was not frigid, but Ash was not exactly wearing heavy clothing, either. Maybe Ash was coming down with a cold. _Oh, I hope it's nothing serious!_ Never before had Dawn seem someone look so profoundly red!

Matters getting more and more embarrassing by the second, Ash knew he desperately needed to pull himself together and start explaining. _Pronto!_

However, no matter how tongue-tied he felt, Ash did realize something via this situation. As the aftershock of Dawn's kiss passed, Ash felt an odd and unexpected twinge of clarity break through his chaos. In his childlike naivety, Ash believed that whenever someone got kissed, he or she would immediately become lost in thoughts about the kisser. Based on this theory, Ash figured his mind would be consumed by Dawn.

Yet…like the persistent red on his cheeks, Ash's thoughts _still_ veered back to that temperamental crimson-haired girl, coiled around his brain like the Gyarados she trained (and acted like, sometimes). He _still_ thought about her, no matter how far away she lived, however long she had been away, or however obnoxious, crazy, and downright violent she behaved! If Ash liked Dawn, then Dawn would be first in his thoughts, right?

"Dawn..." began Ash, wishing above all else that Pikachu was still by his side. Moral support was childish for "tough future Pokemon Masters," but for once, Ash admitted that he _was_ a child and he needed _some_ reassurance for what he was about to say. Swallowing soundly, the black-haired boy braced himself.

"Look, Dawn. I saved Buneary…cause' it was the right thing to do." That was no lie, and Ash was always willing to help a Pokemon in need. If absolutely necessary, he would give his life for a Pokemon. "But I never...I never intended to give you the...wrong impression," he admitted, lowering his head rather shamefully.

Ash remembered Dawn's love letter, and he knew she would make an excellent girlfriend. But truth be told, Ash simply did not return Dawn's feelings. Her kiss was the concrete evidence Ash needed to finally lay his confusion at rest. Dawn's lips sparked nothing inside Ash, except embarrassment and awkwardness. He should have felt euphorically cliché, "Oh my gosh! Dawn! I love you so much! We'll live happily together forever and ever and ever!" – but that never happened (if anything, those thoughts nauseated Ash).

Often, Ash pushed himself to improve his skills or obtain goals. Alas, love was a different type of goal, and Ash realized he could not push himself to love someone he considered just a friend. And above all, Ash refused to continue giving Dawn the wrong message about him; a message he _should_ have given to Mist–

…Ash _really _had to stop thinking about Misty, especially since Dawn looked as though someone just pulled the cruelest joke on her.

Dawn's lip-glossed mouth slightly hung open. This time, _she_ was the kid rendered dumbstruck, replacing Ash. Her first instinct was to assume denial – not denial on her behalf, but denial on _Ash_'s behalf. Was it possible that Ash was going back on his word, chickening out when faced with the commitment of relationship? Ash never crossed Dawn as a sissy. Yes, he had his moments of being frightened like any child his age, but when circumstances mattered most, Ash was no coward. Truly, Dawn considered Ash braver than she considered herself. _So, Ash can't possibly be running away from me._

_After all, Ash sent me a love letter!_ Just a few hours ago, the boy poured out his heart to Dawn. He had a right to be skittish about Dawn's feelings for him, but now that Dawn kissed him, Ash should have no reason to run. _He loves me, right?_

Trying to find a shred of logic, Dawn attempted to stomach her shock, disgust, and confusion. "Ash...I don't understand. If you didn't intend to give me the wrong impression…" she trailed, dropping one hand into her pocket to touch an imperative piece of paper. Bitter disgust began broiling throughout her body, and now Dawn was starting to regret kissing Ash. Like Ash, Dawn was grateful she did not waste her first "real" kiss on the lips, but even so, a kiss was a kiss. If this whole love letter ordeal proved to be a dumb joke, Dawn was _not_ going to be amused. "Then tell me, Ash. What was that letter about?"

Feeling his own confusion bubble, Ash absently rubbed the back of his head. "'Letter'?" he inquired. For a moment, he assumed Dawn referenced _his _letter...the letter _Dawn _sent _Ash_. _Shouldn't Dawn be the one telling ME what that letter was about? SHE wrote it, after all_. Shrugging innocently, Ash countered, "Well...you tell me, Dawn."

His naïve question nearly sent Dawn over the edge. She was not a violent girl by any means, but even she lost her temper from time to time. Right now, Dawn's blood boiled to temperatures identical to when she first met Paul face-to-face. Back then, the arrogant jerk did not have the common decency to acknowledge Dawn's name, never mind act courteously towards a girl. Thus, Dawn blew a gasket.

"What do you mean, 'you tell me, Dawn'?" exclaimed the blue-haired girl, her answer clearly not the one Ash expected. The bug-eyed boy jumped back a few inches thanks to the sudden elevation of volume in Dawn's voice. Were all women scary? "What am _I_ supposed to tell _you_? YOU wrote the letter!"

Not thinking he could jump any higher, Ash nearly flipped when he heard Dawn's last sentence. "_I_ wrote it?" he asked, his head constantly spinning by this insane conversation. This entire day was one mind-warping experience, right from the get-go. _If only days had reset buttons!_ Of course, that was not going to happen...not until he rectified this matter with Dawn.

"Dawn, what're you talking about?" Ash replied, trying to calm the girl and clear this ordeal once and for all. "You wrote the letter, remember?" He heard about Dawn's Ice Beam hairdo-fiasco from this morning. Maybe Dawn's thoughts were disoriented; a side effect after her head was frozen in ice for a short period of time.

But Dawn sure did not seem disoriented. Rather, she seemed _infuriated_. "I can not believe you, Ash Ketchum!" roared Dawn, sounding too reminiscent of Misty, which Ash did not need at this given moment. "You never crossed me as being this type of a guy, but I guess I was wrong about you!" She could not believe she wasted a kiss on such a shallow person! Ash was not the most mature of boys, but Dawn respected him…until now.

"You boys are all the same!" Dawn stereotypically screamed, shaking her head as unrolling curls swatted her cheeks. Alas, the so-called special moment was ruined by now, so Dawn cared less about her appearance. "You toy with a girl's emotions, and then break her heart! I thought you were better than that–"

"What're you talking about, Dawn?" Ash interrupted, desperately trying to stop her, especially when Dawn sounded like she may trail into tears.

"WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?" the coordinator shrieked, shutting up Ash all over again. Indeed, Dawn could feel fluids pool along the rims of her eyes, but her hands were too busy to wipe them. Instead, the girl's hands snagged the infamous love letter, and she restrained herself from shredding it to ribbons. Dawn just crumpled the paper into a ball and chucked the blasted note into Ash's face. "_THAT _IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU JERK!"

Most stunned by Dawn's shrieks, Ash barely noticed the paper ball bop his nose. After regaining himself, he picked up the ball and opened the wrinkled paper. Ash had no idea what this piece of paper might tell him, but he assumed he was destined for a much-needed enlightenment. The sooner he got answers, the sooner he could clear his name, and the sooner he could ease Dawn. Smoothing the paper and turning it to the correct side, Ash began reading.

'_Dear Dawn,_

'_I think your neat. You are kool. You are pretty. Your very nice. You are confidint. You are fun to be with. Your a good coordinater. You have nice hare. You have nice Pokemon. You are pretty.'_

Unable to help himself, Ash stifled a snort. _Man, whoever wrote this letter must be really dumb._

'_Your an awesome girl. I really like you. Do you like me? Meet me at the Kelpsy grove by seven o'clock and let me no.'_

Just before he could snicker again at the lousy letter, Ash found the first not-so-funny line in the entire note:

'_Yours truly,_

_Ash.'_

Now _Ash _was the one who felt on the receiving end of a crude gag. Nearing heart failure for the second time that night, Ash re-read the letter, just to make sure his brown eyes were not fooling him. Naturally, each reading ended the same: _Yours truly, Ash_. According to this document, _he _wrote Dawn's love letter.

"...B-but...I didn't write this!" the boy insisted, though the squeak in his voice suggested more nervousness and less certainty. Ash could not believe what was happening! Surely, today was one big bad joke. It had to be! "I didn't do it! Honest, Dawn!"

Dawn huffed, positively disgusted with her so-called best friend. Apparently, Ash was no different than the rest of immature boys. _I gave him too much credit!_ "No girl will ever respect you, never mind _like_ you, if you pull stunts like this, Ash!" Maybe it was due to Ash's stupidity that other girls like Misty and May no longer traveled with him. According to Ash, the girls left for personal career reasons…so _Ash_ claimed. Dawn was beginning to think very differently about his trustworthiness.

"But I _didn_'t write this, Dawn!" Ash swore on his life. How could be convince Dawn of his innocence? "Look, this letter isn't even in my handwriting!" he defended while pointing to the note's chicken scratch. Yes, Ash's handwriting was sloppy, but this letter looked like Jigglypuff's handiwork!

Secondly, "My writing skills aren't this bad, either!" added Ash, a pint of offense tainted his voice as he double-checked the letter's grammar. Ash knew he was nowhere near as talented as that Shake Spear guy, but he did fairly well in elementary school prior to his Pokemon journey. He _was_ a better writer than whatever preschooler wrote this horrible variation of a love letter. "Gimmie _some _credit," he murmured to himself, slightly insulted by whoever attempted to pass this horrid writing as Ash's workmanship. _It's almost as if whoever wrote this letter thinks I'm a total idiot._

As angry as she felt, a smidgen of Dawn's rational side did agree with the boy. Even she was surprised by the letter's excessively low grade of quality, even for Ash's level. Plus, if there was one thing she learned from traveling with Ash, it was that he was quite honest. Not only did Ash wear his heart on his sleeve, but his eyes told everything. His eyes were some of the most honest orbs Dawn ever saw.

Deep down, as she peered back at Ash, Dawn realized his brown eyes were not fibbing tonight.

Her rage extinguishing, Dawn's clouded judgment began to clear. _But if Ash IS telling the truth..._ the coordinator pondered, peering back at the letter in his hands. "Then...who wrote that letter?"

_I'd like to know that, myself_, Ash knew, though another thought grabbed his attention. Holding Dawn's love letter with one hand, his other hand fished into a denim pocket. No surprise to Ash's ears, Dawn gasped when Ash's hands presented _two_ pink love letters. "Whoever wrote your letter was probably the same person who wrote the letter I got." Believing he just cracked the case, Ash offered his love letter for Dawn's wide-eyed scrutiny.

'_Dearest Ash,_

'_You are such a nice, benevolent person. The way you're so resolute about your goals, and act so empathetic to others, really warms my heart like the beautiful morning sun. You are the sun that lights up my life, and I can't imagine my life without your brilliant glow.'_

Although she prided herself as a romantic, even Dawn arched an eyebrow. _This is flattering, but whoever wrote this love letter is laying it on a little thick._

'_I like you Ash, I really do. _

'_All my love,_

'_Dawn.'_

"I never wrote this!" Dawn screamed with utmost certainty. "This isn't my handwriting, either!" She observed the fancy cursive. Frankly, Dawn was flattered by the gorgeous calligraphy meant to belong to _her_. Dawn's writing was not as sloppy as Ash's, but she knew it was nowhere near as perfected as that of the love letter's mysterious author. And as she observed before, the letter's writing was flattery, but overdone. Besides, this letter's script and grammar seemed to "grown up" for a ten-year-old girl's expertise. "And this writing is a little too lofty for me."

_So Dawn didn't write the letter, after all_. Oddly, Ash was not exceptionally disappointed to learn the love letters were fake. If the letters were false, then he was free from Dawn's "toying with her emotions" charge, and this also meant Ash did not need to worry about translating all those message's big words, either. It seemed the boy and girl were caught in some joke, but neither person was responsible.

_But I think I've gotta' good idea 'who' might be responsible for all of this_.

"No wonder Jessie said neither of us knew what the other was talking about," concluded Ash, folding his hands over his chest as today's mysteries began to solve themselves. Whoever wrote Ash's letter to Dawn clearly did not think highly of the boy's intelligence level, but Ash was willing to prove them wrong. "I guess she was right, too, cause' we really didn't know what was going on. But I can't say I'm surprised that _Team Rocket_ knew what was going on."

"Those crooks…" snarled Dawn, piecing together her own puzzle. It was not out of the ordinary for Team Rocket to mess around with the twerps, but Dawn believed this latest love letter trick was downright cruel. The blue-haired girl did not tolerate people who toyed with romance. "I'll bet they got one big fat laugh out of fooling us! I swear, they'll do almost anything to capture Pikachu."

Speaking of Pikachu, only now did Ash notice the "P.S." message on his fake letter, asking for him to bring the mouse to Dawn's rendezvous. _Why didn't I notice that sooner? _But the boy could smack his forehead later. More and more, Team Rocket's fingerprints were all over today's mess.

Still, as much as Ash was ready to find Jessie, James, and Meowth guilty as charged, there was one last puzzling detail. After all, not _all_ of today's messes seemed to be Team Rocket-relevant. "But, how'd they get Buneary? I know she ran off, but…" It was possible the thieves found Buneary shortly after the bunny fled camp. However, "And what did Jessie mean by calling Buneary a 'matchmaker'?" Yes, Ash did know what a 'matchmaker' was, despite his limited knowledge of love and related jargon.

"I dunno," Dawn shrugged. Today had been one giant Buneary-mystery for the coordinator. But in retrospect, Buneary had been involved in all of the mishaps that plagued Dawn and her friends. Why was the rabbit behaving so mischievously today? Once, Dawn heard that Pokemon undergo mood swings and personality changes before or after evolution. Buneary was strong, but Dawn knew her rabbit was not quite strong or old enough to become a Lopunny. Besides, evolution would not drive a Pokemon to be a 'matchmaker' like Jessie claimed.

_Matchmaker_… Just as the name said, a matchmaker's duty was to pair two people in love. Coincidentally, someone played cupid with Dawn and Ash. Team Rocket obviously played a part in the matter, but Dawn was starting to doubt Buneary was innocent. _But why would Buneary try to pair me with Ash? It's not like we've dated before, so where would Buneary even get the idea that we'd be interested in being a couple? And why would she go to such extremes to try and pair us, anyway? It's kinda' ridiculous to get so many others involved, like Team Rocket and Pikachu–_

Ash noticed Dawn gasp one last time, coercing the boy to give her his attention. "What is it, Dawn?"

The realization hit Dawn like another Ice Beam. _Pikachu. Of course!_ Granted, Dawn was no mind reader, but she had a sinking suspicion that Pikachu played an unintentional role in Buneary's silliness. It was Dawn's duty to keep a sharp eye on her Pokemon and understand their quirks, which was why Dawn felt very blind for not realizing the truth sooner. While Dawn never used to think much of it, she did notice Buneary act differently around Pikachu, often animated enough to be Pikachu's fangirl. Being a romantic, Dawn thought it would be cute if Buneary crushed Pikachu, but Dawn never really thought anything serious would come of the infatuation. _Boy, was I wrong. _

Unable to keep a gentle smile off her face, Dawn giggled to Ash. "Buneary did all this." Expectedly, Ash looked as though a plane just soared over his head, mandating a better explanation from Dawn. "Come' on, Ash. Don't tell me you never noticed how Buneary acts all…'cutesy' around Pikachu. You' know, like Buneary might _really like_ Pikachu."

Sure, Ash noticed that Buneary acted weird around Pikachu, but the boy failed to see what difference that made. Other Pokemon acted odd around Pikachu in the past. Gringy City's Magnemite was a prime example, since the Steel/Electric Type kept following Pikachu around like a streaker (_No wait, Brock said it was a "stalker"_). In the end, Magnemite was attracted to Pikachu's overload of electricity, and acted blushy and lovey-dovey in the mouse's presence.

_Um, come to think of it_, Ash realized, wrapping his brain around the foreign territory of romance. _Buneary kinda' acts like Magnemite when she's around Pikachu. She starts blushing and acts all weird and silly. Does that mean…Buneary could be in love with Pikachu?_ If Ash had difficulties fathoming human romance, he doubted he could handle Pokemon romance. True, the boy believed all of his Pokemon deserved to fall in love, just like Butterfree (not that Ash wished all of his Pokemon would leave). Pikachu deserved a girlfriend like anyone else, and Buneary was a sweet girl. Truthfully, Ash felt pretty happy for his electric buddy.

Still, Ash was not free of questions. "But, what does this have to do with our fake love letters?"

Dawn wondered that, too, though she had one theory. "Well, Buneary is my Pokemon, and Pikachu is yours. Pairing the two of us together might've been Buneary's way of trying to indirectly pair herself with Pikachu." The more she thought about it, the more the coordinator felt like she was finally making sense of today. "It's kind've a weird idea, but I suppose it's no weirder than Brock's theory about pairing Pokemon together so their trainers can fall in love."

Ash marveled at Dawn's ability to make heads and tails of romance, but maybe it was a natural ability for girls. Either way, the boy finally started to feel like matters were making sense.

More over, Ash could not help but pity Dawn's poor rabbit. If Buneary was the culprit of today's shenanigans, then she went through a lot of trouble for the sake of Pikachu's heart. If Ash and Dawn failed to fall in love, then Buneary's scheme would be foiled, and she would probably be heartbroken. Ash would do almost anything for a Pokemon's happiness. Alas, pretending to be in love with Dawn was one thing Ash refused to do just so Buneary could win Pikachu.

_Besides_, Ash realized. _Even if Dawn and I DID fall in love, that doesn't guarantee Buneary and Pikachu will do the same. I don't know how Pikachu feels about this, so what if he doesn't love Buneary? If Pikachu likes Buneary, that's great, but if he doesn't, he should be allowed to go and be with the one he really loves._

It seemed like Ash's own light bulb finally clicked on. Strangely, his enlightenment did not entirely feel like it pertained to Pikachu's love life, either. Instead, Ash felt like he just got a dosage of enlightenment regarding _another_ romance issue of his.

Ash thought it himself:_ He should be allowed to go and be with the one he really loves._

A soft giggle snapped Ash's attention back to reality when he finally noticed Dawn again. Another grin formed on her lips, and Ash braced himself. The last time Dawn looked at him that way, she was seconds away from kissing him. And before that event, the last time Dawn smiled so mischievously was last night, when she teased Ash about…

"You've got that 'look' in your eyes, again," Dawn noted teasingly, chuckling when she noticed Ash's face redden guiltily all over again. She may not have known Ash for as long as that girl he was obviously thinking about, but even Dawn could read his thoughts.

"I forgot to mention to you last night, too," the coordinator added, softening her slyness for Ash's benefit. As much fun as it was to torment Ash, Dawn really meant no harm. She was a romantic, after all, and she happily promoted a relationship whenever the opportunity arose. "Whenever you talk or think about Misty, not only do you sound happy, but you _also_…" she dragged on for effect, indulging in Ash's pink cheeks.

_Heheh, Ash looks so cute!_

But now that all was said and done, Dawn remembered the love letters were faulty. Ash really did not love her after all. Just as Dawn suspected and knew from the start, the boy seriously crushed Misty. _No doubt about it, too_, the girl knew as she watched Ash's face get redder and redder.

_Ash truly likes Misty._

But did Dawn like Ash?

"When you talk and think about Misty," Dawn beamed brightly. "You also _look_ happy, Ash."

Ash wondered why in Dialga's name Dawn had to revert back to his embarrassing Misty-subject? _Great, _Ash moaned, turning his embarrassed face away. _All I need is for Brock to show up and start his 'tutoring' sessions again!_ Ash shuddered at that thought; it was dark by now, he was getting tired, and the _last _thing he wanted to hear was Brock gush about his favorite subject in the world: girls (and other related topics)! Ash needed a way to turn the tables on Dawn.

Fortunately, Dawn turned the tables for him.

"Hehe, but you shouldn't be so embarrassed, Ash. Really," replied Dawn, much to the blushing boy's surprise. Casually placing her hands behind her back, Dawn peered away momentarily. "If Misty makes you happy, there's nothing to be ashamed about. But if you want, I won't tease you about it anymore…though I can't speak on Brock's behalf, of course." Typically, Ash awaited a catch-22, but Dawn failed to provide one. "See, I know how annoying it gets when people tease you about these sorts of things."

Ash still expected Dawn to bribe him, or make some type of deal as compensation. Nevertheless, the nosy boy could not help but wonder, "People teased you about having a crush on someone?" Brown eyes blinking, Ash's curiosity piqued. "Who?"

Then Dawn flushed fervently, imitating the bullet-dodging behavior Ash just displayed. And honestly, Ash got a kick out of Dawn's impishness. For the first time ever, the boy understood why it was so amusing to torment people in love, because the teased acted downright comical! A playful grin yanking his own lips, Ash could not help himself in shooting a little payback at Dawn for last night. "Sooo…Dawn's gotta' crush on somebody, too! Who is it? Tell me! Tell me!"

Ash was obviously unskilled at romance-teasing; he sounded less like a teaser, and more like a girl playing truth or dare. Nevertheless, he succeeded in making Dawn's blush deepen. Yes, Dawn had a crush on a boy.

_But_… The girl understood. _He likes Misty, not me._

_Then again, did I really like Ash in the first place, or was I just playing into Buneary's game? Maybe I'll never know._

"Hey, I know! I'll bet you like Kenny!"

"WHAT?" exclaimed Dawn, spinning back around for two pairs of red faces to make eye contact. It seemed like both Dawn and Ash found a new common ground, though neither seemed to fully understand it yet. Until then, it was onward with the teasing! "_Kenny_? Are you serious, Ash? Aaargh! That boy is so obnoxious! 'Dee-Dee this' and 'Dee-Dee that'! How could I possibly crush a guy who calls me annoying names?"

"But you look kinda' happy when you talk about him, too," commented Ash, specifically pointing at Dawn's blinking blue eyes. "You sorta' get a 'look' in your eyes whenever you talk about him."

"Yeah…it's called '_annoyance_'!" deadpanned Dawn. "Trust me, you'd feel pretty annoyed if Misty called you stupid names."

"Ha! Actually, she does call me names! All the time, too!" sweatdropped Ash, taking an odd sense of pride in his otherwise stupid response. He was really beginning to enjoy this teasing game, and could not wait to master it (and maybe even use it on _other_ people). "Besides, you said it yourself, Dawn! People who drive you nuts can leave big impressions on you. People express their love in unique ways!"

Never expecting such a clever counterattack from Ash of all people, Dawn was caught red-handed (and definitely red-faced) and ate her own words.

"_Sometimes the people who drive you crazy are the ones who leave the biggest impressions. Kenny drove me nuts when we were little, and to this day he knows how to grate my nerves, but we're still close. I'm sure it's similar with you and Misty. Besides, people express their love in unique ways, Ash."_

"Admit it, Dawn," jabbed Ash, smirking like crazy. After last night, this was perfectly poetic justice as far as he was concerned. "You like Kenny, don't you?"

Reflexes told Dawn to deny it, to shoot back, "Oh shut up, Ash!" and stomp back to camp. But she did none of the above. Instead, the blue-haired coordinator recomposed herself, taking a moment to brush her hands through navy locks. When she felt ready, Dawn neared Ash and locked blue eyes with brown ones.

"_You like Kenny, don't you?"_

Shiny lips curled, Dawn proudly answered, "As much as you like Misty, Ash."

Close enough, the smiling kids saw eye to eye…literally _and_ metaphorically.

**To Be Continued in the Last Chapter…**

* * *

**A/N**: Now, I never did 100% guarantee full-blown Pearlshipping in this fic, did I? Sorry Pearlshippers. Still, there was that Pearly little kiss, and I hope some people liked it (and/or didn't mind it, depending on your pairing preferences ^^). Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed exploring Ash/Dawn's friendship in this fanfic (hence this fic's genre). I hope I managed to bring those kids a little closer, and above all, I hope readers enjoyed it as well. ^_^

And now, of course, the even bigger question: "What about Buneary and Pikachu?" The next chapter will be Part 2 of this fic's finale – an epilogue – wrapping up our lagomorphs' tale once and for all. Until next week, friends! ^_~


	7. Paint the Town With Ketchup

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Pokemon / Pocket Monsters_

**COMMENTS**: Welcome to the final chapter! More or less, Ch.7 is just an epilogue, tying the remaining loose ends from Ch.6. What will be the verdict? Read on and enjoy!

* * *

**Cupid Wears Buneary Ears**

_Aiselne Phoenix_

**Chapter Seven ~ * ~ Paint the Town With Ketchup ~ * ~**

_"If two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers will meet and they can fall in love too!"_

Recalling Brock's words, Buneary's eyes snapped open. Blinking sleep-induced tears, the bunny's orbs first came upon the canvas inside Dawn's tent. Just like last night, night-crawling Pokemon chirped in the distance, and a faint scent of campfire smoke lingered into Buneary's nostrils. In addition, the Pokemon's keen nose noticed a few other odors. Wrapped around Buneary's tiny frame was her master's sleeping bag, fabrics smelling of the sweet _Roserade Redolence_ perfume Dawn often wore. Lastly, the bunny detected one other aroma: not smoke, not cologne, but the distinct scent of a Pokemon.

_He_ was standing outside the tent.

The brown bunny immediately burrowed underneath the sleeping bag's protective cover. If Buneary made too much noise, Pikachu's sharp ears would notice, and he would most likely enter the tent. True, the idea of Buneary being alone with Pikachu was a heavenly fantasy, but at this particular moment, Buneary could not bear to see the mouse. After what happened today, and especially after what happened _tonight_…

_How can I face Pikachu again?_ wondered the rabbit, curling into a fuzzy ball. While Buneary understood that Pikachu rescued and cared about her, the bunny still felt shameful. Would Pikachu continue to care for Buneary once he discovered all the craziness she instigated today? After fainting, Buneary did not know what happened to Dawn and Ash. However, with Team Rocket's plan backfiring, Buneary had a sinking suspicion that _all_ of her plans unraveled. It would not take long for the humans to realize Buneary's deception, and then Pikachu would unearth the truth.

Just when Buneary finally realized Pikachu cared for her, the rabbit feared she might have inadvertently given Pikachu a reason _not_ to care for her anymore.

_Oh Pikachu_… she silently whimpered, screwing shut watery eyes. _I don't know what to do._

"Well, well, well! The prodigal children have finally returned!" Brock's sudden and jokey declaration promptly yanked Buneary out of her melancholy. Floppy ears heard two sets of footsteps enter camp, most likely Ash and Dawn's. Naturally, Buneary braced herself for inevitable punishment, her panicking a dire contrast Brock's causal tone. "Jeez, I was beginning to wonder if you two got lost or something. What've you guys been up to all this time?"

There was a brief silence, which, for some reason, piqued Buneary's curiosity. She expected to hear Dawn snarl something along the lines of, "Team Rocket showed up," and worse, "Oh Buneary! Come out here and explain yourself, young lady!"

But instead, Dawn only said, "Oh, Ash and I were just...you' know, training and talking," she giggled, much to the unprecedented surprise of her eavesdropping rabbit. Then came the shuffling of a boot and the grinding of gravel, before the coy Dawn changed the subject. "Sorry, Brock. We lost track of time."

Buneary was uncertain if her master's demure behavior went unnoticed by Brock, but he did not seem to press the subject…yet. "No sweat, Dawn," the brown-haired teen reassured. Losing track of time was never uncommon for Brock's group, especially where Ash was concerned. "I'm just glad you two are okay."

Regardless of worrying about her potential punishments, Buneary wholeheartedly agreed with Brock. Post-fainting, Buneary had no recollection of what happened between Dawn and Ash, but thank goodness the kids were safe and sound. Not that the rabbit _needed_ to worry, because she knew the boy and girl were capable of taking care of themselves. Buneary's trainer always said…

"Of course we're okay, Brock. No need to worry!"

…Except this time, Buneary's trainer was not the _only_ person to say the notorious tagline. The bunny did not know how Brock reacted, but Buneary was quite surprised to hear Dawn _and_ Ash simultaneously quote, "No need to worry." True, tonight was not the first time the kids spoke simultaneously. The reckless duo seemed to enjoy saying the "worry" phrase, probably because both Dawn and Ash tended to attract the majority of worries.

Even so, after hearing the boy and girl say the exact same thing to Brock, at the exact same time, in the exact same jovial voices…

Brock could not help but notice. "Heh, you two sure seem to be in good spirits," he chuckled. Considering everybody's sour and somber moods earlier today, it was ironic how Ash and Dawn were giddy late at night. Then came a crackle of campfire, and Buneary sensed a suspicious smirk in Brock's voice. "So, what exactly were you kids 'talking' about, hmm?" Amusement rose, and Buneary did not have to see to _know_ Brock was grinning like a madman. "Lemmie guess! You guys were talking about that 'topic' from last night, _riiight_?"

Like Brock, Buneary was also interested in hearing Ash and Dawn's explanations. Sadly, a part of Buneary also feared such explanations may lead to her inevitable reprimanding. But as seconds ticked, the rabbit began to notice how _long_ it took for her to be disciplined. Not that she was complaining, but if Buneary was indeed in trouble for her matchmaking mischief, then Dawn and Ash would waste no time in scolding her…right? Instead, the kids seemed preoccupied with other thoughts. Surely, it would be a Ho-Oh-sent miracle if Buneary escaped today's troublemaking scot-free.

A moment of awkward silence swept through the campsite, only broken by an occasional snicker from Brock. The longer Ash and Dawn remained quiet, the more Buneary felt stir-crazy and just wanted to get her punishment out of the way. But before Brock or Buneary could react, the kids finally replied.

"Heh, yeah…I guess you could say we were talking about that," Ash answered, albeit his answer was not the most clear-cut of solutions. Buneary realized Ash was not an eloquent speaker, so what did his vague words mean? He, like Dawn, seemed to be beating around the bush.

If the bunny did not know better, she would have sworn Ash and Dawn were pooh-poohing the truth about what _really_ happened in the Kelpsy grove. Furthermore, the kids acted too peppy for such a late hour of the evening. Buneary could not call herself an expert on human relationships and emotions. Yet, she was quite knowledgeable about individuals who act silly and coy, because Buneary behaved the same way around Pikachu.

Then it dawned on Buneary.

_Dawn and Ash are behaving the same way I behave around Pikachu!_

The rabbit's eyes widened and her jaw dropped to Dawn's pillow.

_Does that mean…it worked? Did I really make Dawn and Ash fall in love?_

* * *

Outside the tent, Brock was completely dumbfounded by his two friends fluttering around the campsite. No doubt, today was the weirdest day experienced by Brock's crew in a very long time. At this late hour everything blurred, and the spiky-haired teen watched in agape amazement as Ash and Dawn entered their little worlds.

The coordinator plopped down on a grassy patch a short distance from the campfire, her Pokemon gathering around. As if a secret meeting was underway, Dawn began whispering to her tiny friends, occasionally receiving a chattered or squealed reply from one of her Pokemon. Brock knew it was rude to eavesdrop, especially since Dawn and her Pokemon's business was none of Brock's. Still, he strained an ear to catch a few of Dawn's words.

Because it was late at night, Brock wondered if he was hearing things. Surely, he must have been mistaken. There was no way Dawn just said, "Kenny." And definitely, there was no way she kept saying "Kenny" half-a-dozen more times. After all, Dawn could not stand Kenny! _Or does she?_ Trying to clear mental cobwebs, Brock shook his head in denial. _Heh, after today's craziness, I guess I need some more sleep. My eyes and ears must be messing with me._

However, Dawn's perky behavior was overlookable, compared to the black-haired boy who plopped down right next to Brock. For the first time in his life, Brock actually _wanted_ Croagunk to pelt his butt with Poison Jab, just to bring him back to reality. There was _no way_ Ash Ketchum sat down next to Brock, stared up at the teen with big brown eyes and blushing cheeks, and asked the unimaginable!

"Um, Brock? Look, I know I've been kinda'…um, 'busy,' today. But, uh, maybe…well, you said you'd help me with…you' know…you'd help me with…Misty…so, um…would you still mind? _Tomorrow_, I mean. Not tonight, of course. I'd, um, you' know, if you don't mind…maybe we _could_ talk about it."

As haphazard as Ash's favor sounded, Brock immediately realized what his friend wanted to talk about. That did not mean Brock had to believe this to be happening. All day, Brock attempted to chase Ash and prepare the boy for confessing his feelings to Misty. But only now did Brock realize Ash never asked for help in the first place, and admittedly, Brock did jump the gun and barge into the boy's business. Then again, Brock considered Ash like a little brother, and he considered Misty a little sister, so the breeder only wanted to aid the kids' relationship. Besides, Brock figured Grumpigs would fly before pigheaded Ash Ketchum asked anyone for help, especially help regarding the opposite sex! Yet, lo and behold, Brock's little Ash was growing up.

The squinty-eyed teen nearly screamed at the top of his lungs, "Okay, who are you kids, and what have you done with Ash and Dawn?" Brock felt (and looked) like somebody knocked the wind out of him. _I've gotta' be dreaming!_ Apparently, something happened while Ash and Dawn were away tonight, and whatever that "something" was, it was BIG.

The self-proclaimed Love Doctor could always sense when love was in the air. _Dawn with Kenny, and Ash with Misty_… Cupid had been busy this evening. Naturally, Brock felt happy for his young companions, especially since Ash and Dawn were usually very stubborn whenever it came to Misty and Kenny. Being an eldest brother, it was only natural for Brock to wish his younger siblings nothing but happiness.

_Good for you, guys._

* * *

Similarly to Brock, Pikachu felt a smile tug his yellow lips. After carrying Buneary to camp, mouse missed whatever happened between Ash and Dawn in the Kelpsy grove. Nonetheless, for Ash and Dawn to behave so happily and positive, Pikachu knew the kids must have reached an impressive enlightenment. Heavens knew something groundbreaking must have happened for Pikapi to _finally_ muster the courage to talk to Brock about Pikachupi. _And it's about time, Pikapi!_ The electric rodent snickered.

But Pikachu's tease did not last long. After all, who was Pikachu to tease Ash about procrastination? Impressively, Ash was making further progress in romance than Pikachu! Instead of poking fun at Pikapi's unceremonious love life, Pikachu should be getting his act together regarding his own puzzling relationship.

_Buneary…_

Doing what he should have done earlier, Pikachu scampered to Ash's backpack, retrieved a certain item, and then about-faced to Dawn's tent.

* * *

_Did it...really work? REALLY?_

Buneary's big ears heard various words spoken outside the tent. She knew symptoms of lovesickness, and Ash and Dawn's giggles and stammers were classic diagnoses. But before celebrations were in order, Buneary failed to understand the lovers' words. If Buneary succeeded in sparking Ash and Dawn's affections, then why did Dawn keep saying "Kenny" and Ash reiterated "Misty"? _Ash and Dawn are in love, right?_

Love was ridiculously complicated, far worse than Buneary imagined when she first developed an innocent crush on Pikachu. It was an understatement to say Buneary was too inexperienced with romance to play matchmaker with Ash and Dawn. She accepted her losses from today, but that did not mean Buneary admitted defeat. After all, while Buneary cared for Dawn and Ash, her biggest concern was not their love life, but _hers_. Regardless if the humans fell in love, the rabbit still did not know the verdict regarding…

"Pika?"

Rabbits have naturally high jumping abilities. Yet, Buneary nearly shot through the tent's roof when she heard _his_ angelic voice from behind. Spinning around, Buneary brought a paw to her pounding heart, which accelerated _faster _when she saw the yellow-haired love of her life standing a foot in front of her. There he stood, the Pikachu who drove Buneary crazy (in a good way). It was enough to make Buneary lose consciousness again…which may not be such a bad idea. The last time Buneary fainted, she fell into Pikachu's arms, and _I could have happily died right then and there!_

But right now, Buneary was alive and well, so she could not stare aimlessly at Pikachu forever. The poor mouse looked very concerned, especially after Buneary's fainting spell. She had to remember that all of Buneary's cupid-stunts affected not just Ash and Dawn, but they also affected Pikachu. He was, after all, Buneary's ultimate target.

Buneary may have escaped lectures from Dawn and Ash, but the bunny realized she would not be exempt from explaining herself to Pikachu. All of a sudden, Dawn and Ash's potential punishments seemed much easier to handle. Not only did Pikachu's presence release a flock of Butterfree inside Buneary's stomach, but the rabbit also feared Pikachu's reaction once he unearthed her mischievous side.

As a palpable round of awkward silence hung inside the tent, Buneary shuffled a foot and began untying her tongue. _I don't want Pikachu to hate me_, Buneary knew with all her heart. _But…isn't it important for lovers to be honest with each other, too?_ Perhaps if Buneary had been honest with Pikachu from the beginning, today's fiascos would have never transpired. But no Celebi would magically appear to turn back time. However, Pikachu _did_ appear before Buneary, giving her his full attention. This was an opportunity that could make or break Buneary's dream. Did she _really_ want to cower?

"Bun-Buneary…" the bunny began, simply translated as, "Pi-Pikachu…"

Openly, Pikachu admitted that Buneary looked pitiful. Blinking a few times, he watched the rabbit's face flush. Granted, Pikachu and Pikapi were pretty slow when it came to understanding girls. But if Ash managed to leaf through his feelings for Misty, the least Pikachu could do was solve his Buneary mystery.

_Buneary always acts weird around me_, recalled Pikachu, his point proven whilst watching the sheepish bunny. _I used to think it was a bad thing, too, as if my presence was a bad influence on her. Pikapi wants me to set a good example for the younger Pokemon. But with Buneary…she's different, isn't she?_

_Sometimes, all Buneary had to do was look at me, and then she'd get very distracted. That could be dangerous if we're caught in battle. Like in Alamos Town, I made a simple compliment about her Ice Beam creating a path for us. Buneary got flustered…and with Palkia and Dialga's fight destroying the town, that wasn't a good time for Buneary's mind to wander. I'd never forgive myself if I were the reason why Buneary made a false step and got seriously injured…or worse._

_Then again, I'd never forgive myself if Buneary got hurt, period._

Ever since he rescued Buneary from Team Rocket, Pikachu continuously recalled his earlier actions and thoughts. _'Team Rocket would've NEVER gotten near her if I were around. She'd always be safe by my side. Always!'_

Never before had Pikachu run to another Pokemon with such vigor and resolve. And even after Buneary fainted and Pikapi ordered Pikachu to rush her to camp, the mouse ran like the wind. Only one other time in Pikachu's life had he sprinted so quickly, catapulting himself into Pikapi's arms and choosing Ash over a forest full of electric mice. But Buneary's case was different. When Pikachu ran to Pikapi, the mouse felt he was running towards his kin: his big brother, and his current family. When Pikachu ran to Buneary, he also felt like he was running towards his kin: but a family he needed to preserve for the future. It was the type of family Pikachu wanted to save for when he and Buneary were ready.

Yes, it was instinct for a Pokemon to seek a mate. But with Buneary, Pikachu only credited _half_ of his emotions to shallow instinct. If Pikachu were solely driven by nature, he probably would not care about silly, insignificant details about Buneary…details Pikachu could not get out of his thoughts.

_She blushes at me, she giggles…Buneary is cute_. Originally, Pikachu never read deeply into Buneary's signals. Other Pokemon teased the mouse about Buneary's possible crush, but Pikachu figured a "crush" was temporary. Eventually, the young rabbit would mature and lose interest in the romantically-clueless Pikachu. Then there would be nothing to worry about.

Instead, Buneary matured in a different manner, and her crush also matured. More surprisingly, Pikachu was beginning to mature. The more time they spent together, the more Pikachu felt "different." It was too late to call this matter a mere "phase" one would get over after a short period of time. Pikachu would not have felt so strongly towards Buneary, otherwise.

_But…do I really like Buneary? LOVE her?_

Pikachu always figured he would fall for another Pikachu, or at least another Electric Pokemon. Frankly, Sparky had everything Pikachu looked for in a mate: energy, confidence, skill, and even looks. Too bad Sparky was male. Pikachu liked girls (especially Pikachupi's older sisters, who were very pretty for humans. _Pi! Now I sound like Brock!_). Little Pikachu from the Pikachu-filled forest was more like a baby brother to Pikachu, too. Magnemite's infatuation ended right after Pikachu's body was no longer overcharged. Jigglypuff was out of the question with her lullabies and poutiness, and Meowth was..._Meowth_. _Enough said!_

But _Buneary_? Sure, the bunny obviously liked Pikachu, but did Pikachu like _her_? The electric mouse racked his brain, trying to find a definitive answer. Of course Pikachu cared about Buneary, obviously more so than mere friends. But was Pikachu ready to "take the plunge," fall in love, and start a family with Buneary? Both the mouse and rabbit still had dreams to accomplish! Dawn had yet to beat the Grand Festival and become a top coordinator, and Buneary had every intention of taking her trainer to the top. Pikachu felt the same about Pikapi's ambitions to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master. Everybody had long roads ahead of themselves. Did Pikachu really want to hinder his, Pikapi's, Dawn's, and Buneary's goals just for the sake of romance? Perhaps it was because Pikachu was inexperienced with love, or maybe he was a coward, but the rodent was not ready for such a monumental leap in his life.

Then again, who said Pikachu and Buneary were 'obligated' to take that leap right away?

"Buneary?"

It was Buneary who piped up, since Pikachu's extended silence was beginning to make the rabbit uncomfortable. She loved seeing and being with Pikachu, but Buneary was not accustomed to seeing the mouse act so awkward. Pikachu was usually in control, taking charge and maintaining a level head. He was a natural-born leader like his trainer. Seeing a leader look so confused easily escalated Buneary's insecurities. No matter how timidly she felt, Buneary had to ask what was wrong. "Neary?"

Pikachu had to give Buneary an answer. _But, do I have an answer for her?_ The yellow rodent briefly chewed his lip, folding hands behind his back…

…And when his paws felt something cold and smooth behind him, Pikachu realized what he would say.

"Pika!" squeaked the mouse, retrieving the forgotten item he confiscated from Ash's backpack. Presenting it to Buneary, the rabbit immediately blinked in surprise. Minus the fact that Pikachu brought her a present, Buneary nearly fainted all over again when she recognized _what_ Pikachu's present happened to be.

Ketchup.

Pikachu's face was redder than his beloved condiment. In fact, to claim Pikachu "loved" ketchup was stating words in their mildest terms. The rodent once zapped Pikapi for innocently borrowing his ketchup bottle to douse french-fries. The mouse was quite possessive of ketchup and rarely shared, which was out of character for generous Pikachu. Oh yes, Pikachu loved ketchup!

_But after today…_

Suddenly, ketchup's luster was not quite as blinding anymore. This did not mean Pikachu gave up ketchup, but he realized there were far more imperative things in life than the delectable sauce. Besides, ketchup made Pikachu's tummy growl and his mouth water. Yet, those somatic sensations were minute compared to Pikachu's pounding heart and Butterfree-filled stomach. Ketchup just made Pikachu feel hungry, but Buneary made Pikachu feel…happy.

_And as long as we're happy, that's all that matters, isn't it?_

"Pi-pika…?" trailed Pikachu, stumbling over his words identically to Pikapi. Like trainer like Pokemon. But maybe when all was said and done, Pikachu and Ash could seek each other for advice and moral support, since both boys were in the same boat. Until then, "Pi chu kachu pika pika pi Pikachu?"

Buneary could not believe her big floppy ears.

"_Bun-Buneary…? Would you like to share this ketchup with me?"_

For Pikachu to offer sharing his ketchup with Buneary was equivalent to a date in Buneary's wide eyes. Did this mean her matchmaking scheme worked after all? Then again, did it matter? Buneary finally got what she always wanted! She should be throwing herself to Pikachu right now!

_But_… realized the rabbit, _I wanted Pikachu's heart, not his ketchup._

As if he could read her mind, Pikachu stepped closer, setting aside his wonderful ketchup bottle. His freed paws embraced someone far more wonderful. As Buneary's paralyzed body leaned into him, the red-faced Pikachu whispered into her furry ear:

"_Buneary…I-I'm not really good at this kind of stuff. But I do know I want to protect you, take care of you, and…well, I…I do like you. There's still a lot of things I wanna' do before…settling down…and I know you've got dreams, too. But if you're willing to wait, I'm willing to keep you by my side while we continue Pikapi and Dawn's journeys. Nobody knows what the future holds, but maybe someday, we'll be able to–"_

Buneary believed in fairytale endings: the couples fall in love, kiss, and live happily ever after. But that did not happen here. Instead, Pikachu sought the longer road. This was no "happy ending," because this was not an "ending" at all! This was only a beginning. And since this was just the beginning, how was Buneary to know that there would _ever_ be a happy ending? There was no way to know.

And that was the point.

Pikachu said it himself, _"Nobody knows what the future holds."_

But Pikachu also said, _"I do like you."_

Buneary wanted to live happily ever after, but she also wanted Pikachu to return her feelings. The naïve little bunny never thought she would have to choose between love and happiness, because Buneary thought one guaranteed the other. Was she greedy to want both? Perhaps. But right now, Buneary might never know if she would be happy with Pikachu unless they took the first step.

Apparently, romance novels and soap operas were just works of fiction, not reality. But fiction was truthful in one element of love: it changed people, and Pokemon. Without any doubt in her mind, Buneary was not the same Pokemon she was last night. She was perfectly content, too.

Finally returning Pikachu's hug, Buneary closed watery eyes and nuzzled her face in the crook of her yellow beloved's neck. Her heart fluttered like Yanmega's wings, but Buneary could feel Pikachu's heart do the same. If this moment was just a beginning, Buneary looked forward to the rest of her and Pikachu's new story.

* * *

Oh yes, cupid had been _very_ busy tonight.

Just when Brock thought he had enough of Ash and Dawn's love-struck behavior, the teenager noticed another couple arrive around the campfire. Sitting down on an adjacent log, Pikachu and Buneary sat shoulder-to-shoulder, with only a small red ketchup bottle between them. Being his group's chef, Brock knew all about Pikachu's condiment addiction. To see the mouse sharing his ketchup was a rarity.

To see Pikachu and Buneary share his ketchup bottle like a bottle of champagne was…unbelievable!

No matter how mind-blowing today became, and no matter how happy Brock felt for his friends, the teen did notice one killjoy. Indeed, cupid had been busy, but…

_Why did cupid forget about ME? Why? WHYYY? _

But Brock's moping did not last long enough for Croagunk to get on his case. Single or not, it was hard for Brock to stay mad when he saw the happy glints in his friends' eyes. Dawn and her Pokemon were acting like bubbly girls at a sleepover, gushing about boys (that is, gushing about Kenny). And Ash was a bundle of blush, staring at the orangey campfire that obviously reminded him of his red-haired object of affection. Last but not least came Pikachu and Buneary's nighttime snack, which Brock knew easily surpassed any meal he could create. Brock could not deny that this moment between people and Pokemon was absolutely cute.

Last night, Dawn and Ash teased Brock about his matchmaking scheme for Ash's Butterfree. _"If two people's Pokemon fall in love, their trainers will meet and they can fall in love too!"_ Perhaps Brock's ideology was not as far-fetched as he believed. Ash and Dawn liked other people, but maybe there was some affinity between human romance and Pokemon romance. Brock did find it convenient how his friends, human and Pokemon alike, found romance at the exact same time. Then again, considering Brock suspected emotions between his friends, maybe this moment was not convenient. Maybe this moment was just a long time coming.

_Cupid works in mysterious ways._

Buneary and Pikachu could not agree more. Whilst sharing the ketchup bottle, the mouse and bunny occasionally exchanged giggles and blushes. Although ketchup contained sugar, the Pokemon knew the true sources of their silliness. They were not feeling mere silliness; Buneary and Pikachu experienced happiness.

When the new couple had their fill of the favorite condiment, the bottle was set aside, and the two Pokemon rested their heads atop each other. Buneary's brown and yellow fluff matched perfectly with Pikachu's yellow and brown-striped fur. Soft warm bodies side-by-side, the mouse and rabbit simultaneously peered up to the twinkling sky. Under the stars, they knew life would not get much better than this.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N**: And that's all, folks! Thanks very much for reading (and special thanks for reviewing). It feels so rewarding for me to finish this story, since CWBE was my first multi-chaptered Pokemon project in a while. I hope you enjoyed my very first Lagomorphshippy tale. It was my pleasure to share this fluff-fest with all of you! ^_^

_( ~ Ah, and early wishes to everyone for a happy Valentine's Day 2011! ~ )_

- **Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus**


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